Christmas Gingerbread

This is a delicious gingerbread recipe - the dough is easy to handle, and I love the spices in it. This was by far the best gingerbread cookie recipe I have ever had.

Ingredients 

• 450g all-purpose flour
• 150g unsalted butter
• 110g cup dark brown sugar
• 125ml golden syrup
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 large egg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 large oven trays with baking paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.

In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended. Add golden syrup, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.



Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide dough into two portions. Shape each portion into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 45 minutes or until firm.

Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour over the dough and rolling pin. Roll dough to a scant 5mm thick. Use additional flour to avoid sticking. Using a Christmas pastry cutters, cut shapes from dough, re-rolling scraps. Place on the lined trays, 3cm apart to allow for spreading. Repeat with remaining gingerbread portion.



Bake in preheated oven, 1 tray at a time, for 10 minutes or until just firm to touch (the lower time will give you softer cookies).

Remove from oven and set aside on trays for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like. Decorate gingerbread using writing fudge and rainbow choc chips, if desired. They look wonderful decorated with Royal icing.



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Grilled Garlic Bread

Need an easy appetizer or side dish that you can prepare in minutes? Grilled garlic bread is a perfect choice. The taste is wonderful. One of the best garlic butter I made. Also, it's great cooked on the bbq. Remember - this is flexible - you can leave out all the extras except for the garlic - or add other seasonings like oregano.


Ingredients 

• 1 large loaf French bread
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley (reserve half for garnish)
• the pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powde
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil for the grill

Preparation!


Slice the French bread into 1,5 cm slices. You want the slices thick enough so that they’re sturdy on the grill.Mince the parsley. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, half of the minced parsley, parmesan, salt, pepper, and the garlic powder.



Spread the butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Using an offset spatula or bread knife, generously butter both sides of each slice.




Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place the slices of bread on a pre-heated/oiled grill, butter-side down, until lightly browned. Then flip and grill the other side of each piece until lightly browned. Check frequently, because bread burns quickly on the grill!

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Homemade Donut

Really quick and easy donuts made from ingredients you probably already have. So easy, quick and the kids helped too. Use any topping you want. My favorite is powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture. I loved these, they were light and fluffy and reminded me of when my mother made doughnuts when I was a child.

Ingredients 

• Vegetable oil
• 500 gr of all-purpose flour
• 100 gr of sugar
• 12 gr of baking powder
• 15 gr of active dried yeast
• 1 pinch of salt
• 70 gr of butter
• 150 ml of milk
• 80 ml of water
• 5 ml of vanilla extract 

 For rolling

• 100 gr of granulated sugar
• 20 gr of ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast, salt, and mix.

Using a pastry cutter cut butter into your flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a measuring jug, heat together milk, water, and heat until lukewarm. Stir in the vanilla.

Turn the machine on low and slowly add the milk mixture. Mix for 10 minutes to wake up the yeast.Mix until all ingredients are combined. Run a spatula under the dough to make sure everything is mixed well. Transfer dough onto a well-floured surface, and knead gently until it forms a cohesive ball. If dough is too sticky to manage, continue to work in flour until it is smooth and manageable.



Rub your mixing bowl with vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap tight and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 - 2 hours.

Once it has risen, turn out the fluffy dough onto a floured work surface. Roll out to 3 cm of thick. Using a round cutter, cut off your donuts circles. Dust your cutter in flour so it doesn’t stick to the dough. Cover your donuts with cling film and let them rise at room temp for 30 - 40 minutes.





Fill a medium-sized saucepan 4 cm deep with your oil over medium-high heat. You will have to monitor the heat pretty regularly and may need to increase/decrease your stove temperature to keep it consistent.

While your oil is heating, prepare your cinnamon/sugar mix by stirring together cinnamon and sugar in a small dish. Set aside.

Prepare two plates for your cooked donut by lining them generously with paper towels. Once the oil has reached medium-high heat, very carefully fry your donut, carefully transferring them to the oil with a slotted spoon.

Fry donut for approximately 4 - 5 minutes, remove carefully with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel laden plate. Allow them to sit for about 30 seconds and then use another spoon to transfer them to your cinnamon/sugar dish, roll them in the topping until fully covered, and then transfer to your other paper towel lined plate.

Repeat until all donut holes are cooked and have been rolled in cinnamon sugar.These donuts are best enjoyed warm/hot and do not carry over well to the next day.



Have leftovers for the next day? Pop them in the oven and refresh them for a few minutes. The cinnamon and sugar might melt but they will be warm and fresh again.

Notes: If you want a healthier version of preparation, you can prepare them in the oven with less oil: Heat the oven to 180°C. Unwrap the donuts. Brush the very top with melted butter. Sprinkle the tray with 2 tbsp of water. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Rotate tray during baking if needed to get color all over. You want to bake these just enough. If they get too much color they can dry.




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Chicken Meatball Soup

This recipe is beyond delicious!! So easy and so healthy! Lovely and light. Delicious, everyone loved it. This was a hit in my house! Great way to use up veggies. The meatballs are very flavorful, I would use them in other dishes. The soup overall is very tasty!

Ingredients 

• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1,2 l of chicken broth
• 200ml of water
• 300g of bulgur
• 400g of ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 25g of fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon of dried crushed rosemary, divided
• 50g of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 25g of fresh parsley leaves

Preparation:

In a medium bowl combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs salt, and pepper. Add lemon zest and rosemary. Shape into medium meatballs ( about 1 tablespoon each). Sauté meatballs in a Dutch oven over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until browned.



In a medium saucepan cook carrots, celery and onion in olive oil for 10 minutes, stirring. Add chicken broth and water, heat to boiling. Stir in bulgur. Reduce heat, simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes or until bulgur is almost tender.



Stir in meatballs, simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and parsley.

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Quicker French Toast

This is a great, simple recipe for french toast. It tastes great with whole wheat bread. Definitely one of the best ones I've tried!



Ingredients

• 50 ml of maple syrup, divided
• 2 tablespoons blueberry preserves
• 16 slices French bread
• 2 large eggs
• 200 ml of whole milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• Pinch ground cinnamon

 SAUCE:
 
• 100 gr of sugar
• 200 ml.of cold water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 250 gr of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon butter



Preparation

Whisk the eggs, cinnamon milk, flour, vanilla, salt and maple syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip both sides of sandwiches into egg mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring the butter so it does not burn until foaming subsides. However, make sure the pan is completely hot before frying because otherwise it sticks bad and you end up with a mess on your hands.



Soak slices of bread in egg mixture, turning, until saturated. Add soaked bread to skillet and cook, swirling occasionally, until browned on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle top side of bread with sugar, flip, and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.



Just be sure to dip the bread quickly to soak each side, then put right into a hot pan. If the bread soaks too long in the batter, the inside becomes really heavy and soggy and doesn't cook all the way through



Preparation for the sauce:

Combine the sugar, water, and cornstarch until smooth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in blueberries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until berries burst. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Serve with French toast.


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Miso-Glazed Chicken With Noodle

Fairly quick to put together and pretty tasty. I imagine any meat would go great with the noodles. Excellent recipe that my entire family enjoyed- picky eaters included. Awesome recipe! Super delicious and easy. I don't normally have miso paste around but it's definitely worth buying!


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of white miso paste
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 500 g of chicken breast fillets, halved horizontally to form cutlets
• 200 g of dried noodles
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 carrots
• 2 zucchini
• 1/4 cup of pickled ginger
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• Thinly sliced green onion
• Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Preparation

Combine miso, honey, cloves garlic, freshly ground black pepper, salt and sesame oil in a bowl. Add chicken. Turn to coat. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
Heat a greased barbecue hotplate or grill on medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.



Cook noodles following packet directions. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, using a peeler, cut carrot and zucchini into thin ‘noodles’ Place in a large bowl. Add noodles and the ginger. Toss to combine. Combine lime juice and oil in a small bowl. Add dressing to the salad. Toss gently to combine.

Place salad in serving bowls. Thinly slice chicken. Serve salad topped with chicken, remaining ginger, green onion. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately with the fresh and crunchy noodle salad.


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Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Salmon

This is my first grilled salmon recipe this year, and it certainly won’t be the last. Roasted Salmon is the fresh and tasty dish and it is perfect for your next party.



This is very easy and simple dish. It is the perfect heart-healthy dish as it’s high in omega-3 fatty acids and also offers anticoagulant properties from the garlic that may help to improve blood flow.

Ingredients: 

• 6 salmon filets
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup of red cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• pinch of fresh ground black pepper
• fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the top, optional

Preparation:


Allow salmon to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to roasting. Preheat oven to 200° C

In a medium saucepan, saute the shallots and garlic in the olive oil until tender, about 3 minutes.Add the remaining ingredients (except the salmon) to the pot and bring to a boil. Let the simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until has thickened. Remove from heat.



Place the salmon skin-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Evenly top each fillet with preparing glaze. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.



Serve hot, with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the top if desired.



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