Prawn Pasta

I credit my sister in law for introducing me to this Gordon Ramsay recipe from his book The F Word. When I first tasted it, I was just dying for more! Even though this is a white sauce pasta, it is light and I can guarantee you will find yourself serving up a second plate after polishing the first. This dish is something you would expect to see on the menu of a fancy cafe and pay premium dollars. Now, you can enjoy it in the comfort of your home. Just don't forget the vino ;)

Serves 6 | 30 minutes

Ingredients

500g cooked Prawns

600g cherry Tomatoes

3 spring onions, finely sliced

¹/₈ teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1 level Tablespoon of mince garlic or 1 clove garlic chopped

200g double thickened cream

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

500g dried spaghetti

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried parsley, plus extra to serve

1 teaspoon dried dill

1. Using a heavy-based pan, heat up olive oil on medium heat and brown spring onion, garlic and chilli flakes. 

2. Add tomatoes to the pan and stir occasionally until the tomatoes are soft.

3. Cook your dried pasta according to packet instructions.

4. While the pasta is cooking, add prawns, parsley and dill to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

5. Add in thickened cream and mix the sauce's ingredients. Warm through gently for a couple of minutes on medium heat. 

6. Drain the pasta and toss with the pasta sauce. Serve immediately. 

Cookies and Cream Ice-cream Cake with Maltesers and Strawberry

When I think of ice-cream cake, I think of the store-bought Napoletana flavoured cakes with sprinkles on the top. I have come across many ice-cream cake recipes but many failed to appeal to me because they all seemed to take so much effort, or that it required a machine. So when I came across this recipe I thought it was perfect for the lazy cook that I am. So few ingredients, relatively inexpensive ingredients and familiar flavours meant I was keen to try and make my first ice-cream cake! 

Makes for 12 | 15 minutes plus chilling time
Ingredients
1 tub of 2L vanilla ice-cream
2 packets of Maltesers

¹/₂ packet Oreo cookies, crushed

1 punnet of strawberries, diced and for garnishing

1. Line a cake tin with glad-wrap and cover the base with Maltesers from the two packets.

2. Soften the ice-cream in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Soften the ice-cream to the point where it is still partially frozen but you can still mix and mould. Using a 1200 watt microwave, it took me 1 minute. When softened, mix in strawberries and cookies.

3. Once mixed through, transfer the ice-cream into the cake tin and pat down firmly. Leave in the freezer for the ice-cream to re-set again and serve when ready to eat.

Notes and Variations

This is a really versatile recipe in that you can mix and match the ingredients to create an ice-cream cake you like. The vanilla ice-cream can be replaced with other ready-made flavours and the strawberry can be substituted to other fruits such as frozen raspberries. 

Portuguese Custard Tarts

These custard tarts are very similar to one I buy all the time at my local bubble tea cafe. They are so sweet and the perfect accompaniment to my cup of tea. My husband scoffed these down in an instant and while I prefer them warm and fresh out of the oven, he informs me they are still just as good when refrigerated.

Makes 12 | 45 minutes plus cooling time
Ingredients
3 egg yolks

¹/₂ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoon corn flour (corn starch)
200g thickened cream

²/ ₃ cup milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry


1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan (not over heat).

2. Gradually whisk in the cream and milk until smooth.

3. Place the pan over medium heat and cook until the mixture is a nice thick mixture. It generally happens when the mixture reaches to a boil. Remove from heat then mix in vanilla extract.

4. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and cover with Glad-wrap to cool.

5. When your mixture has cooled, pre-heat your oven to 180°C. Cut the pastry sheet in half and lay each pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, using your rolling pin to create 10cm in diameter circles to make cups. Press the pastry rounds into the muffin tin.

6. Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake for 25 minutes or until pastry and custard are golden.

7. When cooked, remove the muffin tray from the oven and leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring on a wire rack to completely cool. Serve and enjoy :)

** Original recipe from Almost Bourdain **

Fried Masala Fish Bites

A simple week-day dish that can be served up as dinner on a bed of rice, or as a great appetizer. Regardless of how you wish to serve these Fried Masala Fish Bites, they are a crowd favourite - even with the kids!

Serves 4 as a meal | 15 minutes plus marinade time
Ingredients
3 Basa fish fillets
2 tablespoon fish masala
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for deep frying


1. Cut fish into bite sized piece and mix with the fish masala and salt, ensuring all sides of the fish bites are covered.

2. Cover the marinated fish with Glad-wrap and leave to refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes.

3. Heat up a frying pan with the vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Fry the marinated fish on both sides in batches. Once fried, place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the oil.

4. Once all the batches of fish are fried, serve on lettuce leaves as nibbles or on a bed of rice or salad to serve as a main.

Notes and Variations
While I have used Basa fillets in this recipe, any firm fish can be used.
Also, if you cannot get hold of fish masala (which can generally be found at your local gourmet / Oriental grocer), standard mild curry powder can be used. Keens Curry powder is an alternative that I use when I have run out of fish masala.

Mini Almond Muffins

These bite-sized mini Almond muffins pack a punch when it comes to flavour and sweetness. Fantastic with a cuppa and even great for the kids; you'd never guess this was a low fat recipe adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. 

Makes approximately 24 mini muffins | 25 minutes
Ingredients
125g almond meal
50g flaked almonds
3 tablespoons self-raising flour

³/₄ cups caster sugar
120g egg whites (approximately 4 XL egg whites)
80g butter, melted


1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Combine dry ingredients into a bowl and mix through.

 

2. Add egg whites, vanilla and melted butter and stir well to ensure all the ingredients are mixed through.

3. Grease your mini muffin tin with oil and spoon the mixture in.

4. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn off the oven but continue to let the muffins cook for a further 5 minutes before removing and letting it cool completely on a wire rack. 

Notes and Variations
To make this a true Weight Watchers recipe, replace the butter with Weight Watcher's brand Canola Spread.
The original recipe requires you make standard size muffins and each muffin is valued at 3.5 points.

** Original recipe from Weight Watchers Cakes & Bakes **

Chorizo and Scallop

As fancy as this dish sounds, it does not reflect just how simple and easy it is to cook. Using so few yet oh so tasty ingredients means you can impress the guests, or indulge yourself, in this sumptuous dish by Nigella Lawson.

Makes 8 as a starter | 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 chorizo sausage
250g scallops
1 tablespoon parsley (fresh or dried)
¹/₂ juice of half a lemon


1. Thinly slice your chorizo sausage and if the scallops you've purchased are thick, slice them in half length ways to make thin discs.

2. Heat up a frying pan on medium-high and cook the chorizo on both sides. When done, place on a separate plate but do not remove the oil from the pan.

3. Now sear the scallops in the chorizo oil on both sides.

3. Once the scallops are cooked, return the chorizo to the pan and add the lemon juice and parsley. Mix through for a few minutes to infuse.

4. When all the flavours have infused, divvy into serving portions and enjoy!

** Original recipe from Nigella Lawson's Quick Collection app - Scallop & Chorizo **

Double Choc Caramel Slice

This recipe is not for the faint hearted! So sweet, so chocolatey, so JOY!

Makes approx 24 slices | 25 minutes plus chilling time
Ingredients
250g Arnott's Choc Ripple Biscuits
100g Butter, Melted
395g can Condensed Milk
30g Butter
2 tablespoon golden syrup
200g chocolate (100g dark / 100g milk)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


1. Preheat your oven to 160°C or 140°C if you have a fan forced oven and line a tin with non-stick baking paper (a slice tin with a 28cm x 18cm dimension is ideal). Put all the biscuits into a food processor to create crumbs.

2. When all the biscuits are crumbed, add the 100g of melted butter and process again until evenly mixed.

3. When the butter and crumbs are mixed through, transfer it into the slice tin and using the back of a spoon, press down the biscuit crumbs to distribute and form a smooth base. Put the base in the fridge until needed.

4. Combine condense milk, 30g butter and golden syrup into a small saucepan. Cook over medium to low heat until lightly golden Be sure to stir regularly.

5. When golden and while it is still warm, pour the caramel mix over the chilled biscuit base. Smooth the caramel mix gently and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

5. After baking let the base and caramel mix cool completely. Once cooled, combine chocolate and vegetable oil.

6. Pour the chocolate/oil mixture on top of the caramel mix and then chill until set.

7. To divide, slice in half width-ways and divide this portion into 3 lengths, then cut each into four squares. Repeat for the other half.

Notes and Variations
The caramel portion of my slice looks very runny in these photos because I don't think I caramalised it properly when cooking it over the stove. Then on top of that, I also don't think I let it chill for long enough in the fridge. So what I would probably suggest is that you take your time in step 4, as well as taking a little bit of extra time in chilling. The wait, though long, would be well worth it. As you can see, I couldn't wait. Having said that, it still was delicious.

** Original recipe from Coles Recipes **

LaLa's Filipino Curry

Filipino curry, which is officially known as 'Ginataang Manok', is a favourite amongst us Filipinos and the name means chicken is stewed in coconut milk. My recipe is a bit of a variation to the more traditional recipes back home, mainly to cater to my children. This curry is full of flavour, it isn't spicy hot (as is often associated with the word 'curry'). I've made this for many people and not one has ever said they disliked it so I can safely say this is dish is a winner. I dedicate this blog to my bestie, who LOVES this dish.

Serves 4 | 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g chicken thigh fillets, diced
2 bunches of broccoli, cut into florets
3 potatoes, roughly diced
1 small onion, diced
1 can coconut milk
1 chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1¹/₂ teaspoon fish sauce
oil for frying
salt and pepper to season

1. On medium to high heat, fry up your onion and garlic and then add your chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and broken up stock cube.

2. When your chicken is browned, pour in coconut milk and fish sauce and mix altogether.

3. Add your diced potato and curry powder then mix through again. The colour of your curry will change to a beautiful golden yellow. Cover and turn the heat down to let it simmer until the potatoes are partially cooked through. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Add your broccoli and then mix the curry through. Re-lid the the pot and continue to simmer until the broccoli is cooked through.

5. When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, serve on a bed of jasmine rice while hot.