Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

When I was 11, we moved to Malaysia to live for 3 years (because of my Dad's job).  While there, we (being my Mum, her friend and her friends daughters) visited Starbucks, A LOT.  I mean, why wouldn't we, it was CHEAP there, and there was a Starbucks right across the road from where we lived!  Not even kidding.  Walk out of our apartment building, cross the street and we're at Starbucks.  It was amazing.  

Anyway, Starbucks used to serve lemon poppyseed muffins.  They were so good!  The top was always crispy and delicious, and there was so much lemon that the whole muffin was deliciously tangy and lemony, and the poppyseed just added a beautiful crunch to it.  Of course, they served them warm, with butter, which was just superb.  It quickly became one of our regular orders, and they were always amazing, never had a bad muffin.

And so this inspired me to try making lemon poppyseed muffins today, with a recipe I saw on via www.pinterest.com.  I followed the recipe to a tee, just because with baking you need to be a bit more careful with measurements and things because it's all based on chemical food reactions, and I didn't want to end up with terrible little bricks.

The only things I changed was that I didn't put any zest in (because I loathe the texture of lemon zest) and I forgot to put the salt in (maybe contributed to the disappointing flavour??).

INGREDIENTS

½ cup (~120g) sweet creamy butter, softened
²⁄₃ cup sugar
2 large eggs , separated
1 ¹⁄₃ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 lemons, zest of , grated
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy
• Add egg yolks one at a time, beat well after each
• In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients, poppyseeds, SALT, and lemon zest
• Add dry ingredients to cream mixture, alternating with yoghurt, lemon juice and then vanilla
• Original recipe says to beat, but in past experience, just mix/fold together gently - don't over mix.  Stir only a few times, until just mixed.
• In another bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form
• Stir/fold gently into muffin mixture until blended
• Spoon into muffin pan (if it's not a silicon pan, be sure to grease your tins first!), filling 3/4 full
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, and the muffins are golden

I was a bit disappointed with these muffins and won't be using this recipe again, but I thought I'd share it anyway.  They just weren't lemony enough!!!  I could barely taste any lemon.  I mean, they were still nice, and they density was good and they weren't little bricks or anything.  It's just they weren't tangy or anything like how I expected, even though I added over 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

I shall keep looking for other recipes to try, and hopefully one day I'll find one as good as Starbucks!!!

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-poppy-seed-muffins-100943

Big Batch of Spaghetti

I was going to try making mi goreng from scratch for lunch, but decided we didn't have enough fresh veges to make it a worthwhile stirfry.  So then I decided I really felt like a big bowl of pasta in tomato sauce.  I set about making a sauce, based loosely on a recipe (see bottom of this post) I found on Pinterest a while ago.  It's almost a version of the vodka cream sauce, but without the vodka.  But mostly, I just made it up as I went along!

Serves 5 - 6 (it makes A LOT!)

INGREDIENTS

1 can whole peeled tomatoes (drained half the sauce they were in)

1 can tomato puree

2 tablespoons tomato paste

a squirt of tomato sauce

1/2 cup strong chicken stock

1 big teaspoon crushed garlic

1 big onion, diced

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons butter

garlic salt (to taste)

oregano (dried or fresh)

basil (dried or fresh)

1/4 tsp chilli powder (to taste)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated cheese

2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water (to thicken)

spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions to al dente 

METHOD

• Fill a pot with salted water and cook the spaghetti to al dente 
• Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a pan, add garlic and onion and saute until tender
• Add chicken stock and simmer for a couple of minutes
• Add drained tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and garlic salt.  Simmer for 10 minutes
• Mix in sour cream, cheese and cornflour/water mixture, simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously
• Drain cooked pasta, and stir through the sauce
• Serve immediately, with cheese to sprinkle on top

It certainly satisfied my craving for a big, glorious bowl of spaghetti.  And of course, it's fun to eat!  Even if you do end up with a red ring of sauce around your mouth, like I always seem to! :D  The other good thing is that this dish doesn't sit heavy in your stomach - you feel full, but not disgustingly bloated or anything.  :)

Recipe Inspiration: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/pasta-with-tomato-cream-sauce/

My Version of Beef Stroganoff

It was a bit miserable and cold yesterday, and I had gotten some beef blade steak out the day or so before, so it was perfect casserole comfort food weather.   I decided to make a stroganoff from scratch, because there was a can of sliced mushrooms in the pantry that has been annoying me for ages (I couldn't think how I was going to use it) and also because it was the only recipe I found online that specifically stated using beef blade steak.  I didn't want to cook it wrong and have tough meat... nobody likes that!  However, the recipe I found seemed a bit boring and bland, so I based my casserole off it, but I added a few other things that I found had been written in other stroganoff recipes.  

So really, my version of beef stroganoff is a combination of several recipes, plus a little improvising from myself.  I was a little unsure about how it would turn out, but it was actually quite nice.  We ate it with rice and fresh steamed broccoli.

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

400g beef blade steak, diced

2 onions, sliced

1 x small can of sliced mushrooms (in sauce, but I removed most of the excess sauce)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon paprika

1 & 1/4 cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 carrot, diced small

2 medium potatoes, diced small

sprinkle of onion salt or garlic salt

frozen peas (quantity up to you!)

bay leaf (optional, can be added to sauce)

dried thyme (optional, can be added to sauce)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons cornflour mixed w 2 tablespoons cold water (to thicken, at the end)

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C
• Place diced beef, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots in a casserole dish
• In a separate jug, mix vegetable stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, onion/garlic salt, garlic and paprika together
• Pour the sauce mixture over the meat and vegetables, and stir through to make sure it's all through
• Cover and cook for 1 & 1/2 hours in the oven (or until meat is tender), stirring once or twice during cooking, and tasting the sauce at least once, so seasoning can be adjusted if needed
• When almost ready to serve, mix through cornflour to thicken the sauce, and add sour cream
• Add frozen peas, stand for 2 minutes to allow the casserole to heat the peas through, and serve!

Goes beautifully with rice for a lighter meal, or mashed potato for real winter comfort food!!  Can also be served over pasta.  And if you don't have sour cream on hand, don't panic!  Normally when making stroganoff (out of a packet) we leave out the sour cream and it's still delicious!

I know I kinda blurred the line here a little bit between stroganoff (mushroom based, usually no carrots or potatoes) and Hungarian goulash (which traditionally has potatoes and carrots in it) but I just felt like the dish needed something a little extra, vegetable-wise, and the peas added at the end gave it a nice bit of greenery (along with the steamed broccoli) and freshness.

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/Recipes/Beef-Stroganoff

Crustless Broccoli Cheese Quiches

I have a confession to make.  You know how most kids think broccoli is the worst vegetable in the world, and kids cartoons always make giant broccoli out to be the enemy of all children, something evil that deserves to be hated...?  Well, I was the kid who ATE those kids share of broccoli.  I LOVE BROCCOLI!  I always have.  I always will.  I could never understand why so many kids hated it so much.  It's one of my favourite vegetables.  Nothing better than fresh steamed broccoli, perhaps with a bit of grated cheese on top that's melted from the heat... om nom nom. 

So when I fell upon a recipe for crustless (aka easy!) broccoli cheddar quiches, after having had a massive delivery from some kind friends of eggs straight off their farm, I was very excited.  The recipe used up 6 of the eggs, which was good (meant the sudden excess of eggs wouldn't go to waste!), and Mum had got broccoli from the supermarket on the weekend (2 big heads of broccoli for $3!  Cheap as!) so we had lots of that to use too.

I made it as a side dish for dinner, and my parents ate the left overs for breakfast.   I love that you can make them in muffin trays, perfect portion control, perfect serving size, and they cooked up lovely.  Although the original instructions said to make it into 4 ramekins, I actually liked the muffin tray idea... plus we didn't have any ramekins haha!

Made 11 quiche cupcakes (normal muffin size)

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs

10oz broccoli "florets", cut as big/small as you want (10oz = about 1 & 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup milk

2.5 teaspoons melted butter

Salt and pepper - to taste (optional)

Pinch of chilli powder (optional)

3/4 cup grated cheese (original recipe says sharp cheddar, but I just used Edam)

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C
• Microwave broccoli for 1 minute with a little water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels
• Whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and chilli together until mixed
• Stir in broccoli and cheese
• Divide mixture evenly between the muffin tray cups, filling 3/4 of the way up the cup
• Poke any bits of broccoli sticking up back down (you don't want it to burn in the oven)
• Bake until golden (about 15 or 20 mins, depending on your oven)

They DO rise when they are in the oven, and get all puffy, but then they deflate as they cool down, into dense little eggy cheesy bites of delicious.  Serve immediately, or eat cold, or eat as left overs - they're good any way!!

I think I will experiment with some other fillings at some point... tomatoes, or ham, or red onion, or normal onion might be a nice addition.  I'll let you know if I do.  :)  I personally didn't really enjoy all the egg, but I'm not big on egg anyway (it takes a very special egg for me to eat it haha).  Mum and Dad loved them though, so we'll go with "they are delicious".  I mostly liked them for the broccoli, if I'm being honest.  :D

Recipe inspiration: http://www.marthastewart.com/318409/crustless-broccoli-cheddar-quiches

Creamy Spinach and Parmesan Dip

When I was 14, we lived in Malaysia, and we had some Australian friends there, whose mum had a specialty dish of spinach dip inside a loaf of bread.  It was the most amazing dip ever.  She brought it to all the BBQs and events, and we all ate it many, many times.  Ever since, I've been enamoured with the idea of spinach dip, and I've kept an eye out for recipes.  

With my recent desire to do more in the kitchen, and then stumbling across a really EASY recipe for spinach dip, I thought I'd give it a go.  This recipe is not served in a loaf of bread however, nor is it served hot (like some other variations).  But I think you can forgive these things for the simplicity of the recipe, and how amazing it tastes.

I must confess, I didn't exactly follow the recipe (I never do, I'm not too OCD about having exact quantities - it's more fun to not be too strict haha) because we don't (and never, ever do!) have scallions.  I don't even know what they are really.  Like some sort of spring onion?  I'm not sure, but anyway, I just replaced scallions in the original recipe with finely diced red onion, and it's beautiful.  You wouldn't know it wasn't supposed to be there.  ;)  The other bonus, is that this recipe is the lightest version I could find, so you won't even feel guilty eating it!  WIN!

Makes about 2 cups of dip.

INGREDIENTS

10oz frozen, chopped spinach (thawed, and excess liquid squeezed out) [10oz = about 1 & 1/4 cup]

1/2 cup light sour cream

5 tbsp light mayonnaise

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 a red onion, finely diced

fresh pepper, to taste (I didn't use any to be honest haha)

METHOD

• Microwave the frozen spinach to thaw (about 1 min - don't cook it) and drain, squeezing out as much liquid as possible (best way I found was in a sieve, with my bare hands - good stress relief!)
• Combine all the ingredients together in a medium bowl, mix well.  DONE!

Pre-spinach being added

Can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.  The original recipe says to remove from the fridge 30min before serving, but I like it cold straight from the fridge.  Up to you!   It's amazing with water crackers, or bread sticks.

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/12/creamy-parmesan-spinach-dip.html

Coconut, Chilli & Lime Pork Sitr-Fry

Ok so this isn't really a recipe, but more just a blog post about what I cooked for dinner tonight.  I had some diced pork, and I had no idea how I was going to cook it.  Then I remembered I had some "Watties Wok Creations" stir-fry sauce sachets.  Yes, the stir-fry sauce was a ready-made packet one.  But I added extra garlic (because garlic is the best) and extra chilli sauce for more kick.

I wanted to rave about vegetables, which is the reason I chose to cook a stir-fry.  I'm on a fresh fruit and vegetable kick at the moment.  I can't seem to get enough.  So in my stir-fry, I had two onions, a carrot chopped into sticks, thin slivers of capsicum (aka bell peppers), mung beans, butter beans, broccoli, and peas.  Out of all of those, only the peas and butter beans came from the freezer.  So much crunch.  So many good vegetables.  So fresh.  Ahhhhhh!

I served it on basmati rice (which I have discovered is much nicer if you rinse the rice before you cook it) cooked with the absorption method.  It's such an easy way to cook rice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup uncooked rice

drizzle of oil

1 tsp salt

1 & 3/4 cup water

METHOD

• Put rice in a saucepan and drizzle oil over (about 1 tbsp)
• Shake the pot to cover all the rice with oil, and sprinkle salt over
• Add water, cover and put on stove top
• Bring to a boil
• When bubbling, stir with a spoon (to stop rice sticking to the bottom of the pan), replace the lid, and turn the heat off
• LEAVE IT!  DON'T TAKE THE LID OFF, and ignore it for about half an hour
• When ready to serve rice, remove lid and fluff with a fork

Easy peasy!  But I cannot stress enough, that you just leave the rice alone once you turn off the heat.  Gas cooking is amazing for this, as the heat stops immediately.  And don't remove the lid!!!!!!  That's how it cooks.  :)  Rice always turns out perfectly for me with this method.  No need for a special rice cooker appliance (always makes me laugh when people buy those)!

Banana Cupcakes

Mum bought some bananas (the teeny tiny ones!) in the groceries the other day, and they had a green tinge, which was fine cos that means they'll last a while.  But I swear, by the next day, they had ripened and were starting to go brown!!!  WHAT?!  That's a bit fast.  Of course, straight away Dad goes "BANANA CAKE!" and looks at me hopefully.

Today I finally got around to using up the bananas.  The browner, the better, so it didn't matter that it's been like 4 days since the original suggestion haha!  This recipe is one I've used my whole life, and it's in my "favourite recipe" book for keeps.  It's actually for cake, but I decided to make muffins, because our house is divided as to what the best icing is.  Mum and I love lemon, Dad loves chocolate.  So by making muffins, I could ice them half and half, and then everyone would be happy! :)

INGREDIENTS

125g butter

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 mashed bananas (or 3, if they are small)

1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

METHOD

• Cream butter and sugar
• Add egg and beat well
• Dissolve soda in warm milk and mix in
• Add mashed bananas
• Lastly, fold in flour and baking powder
• Spoon into muffin trays (or if you'd rather make a cake, you can do cake tin)
• Bake until golden in a moderate oven (180 deg C)

TIP: To know if your muffins (or cakes) are ready, poke a tooth pick (or a long skewer) into the middle of one - if it comes back out clean, they're ready.  If the mix is still goopy and stuck to the toothpick, they need a little longer.
 

Ok, for some reason it won't let me upload the close up picture of a chocolate iced muffin properly - it keeps turning it sideways!  Grrrr.  But you get the idea.

Icing

For the chocolate icing, I just used a small knob of melted butter, 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, and then added icing sugar until the icing had the thick consistency that wouldn't run off the cupcake.

For the lemon icing, I used another small knob of melted butter, some lemon juice (real lemon juice, none of that lemon essence crap!), and then added icing sugar until the icing was thick enough not to slide off again.

EASY PEASY! :)