Fete time

 Fete time snuck up very quickly this year. I was happy to hear that one of my boys class, had a cupcake stall. This was right up my ally.

First chocolate cupcakes with maltesers on the top.

http://www.aww.com.au/food/recipes/2012/3/quick-mix-chocolate-cupcakes/

Next choc mint cupcakes. I made these with a chocolate cupcake mixture and added mint areobar chocolate, mixed in with the mixure.

Then banana cupcakes with caramel icing on top.

Eggplant Salad

I made this Asian inspired Eggplant Salad for a lunch with my family. I love finding salads that are a little different from the everyday.

Eggplant Salad

3 small radishes, washed and grated

1 eggplant, sliced

1 red chilli, sliced

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 cup coriander, torn leaves

50g roasted peanuts, crushed

20g fried shallots

Dressing

1 finely diced red chilli

2tbls soy sauce 

1 tbls rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbls caster sugar

1/2 cup pineapple juice

Another recipe that I found in delicious, I could not find any small japanese eggplants so I just used normal size and sliced them approx 1cm thick and then cut them in half length ways, I salted them on a cake rack for a while before grilling them. After grating radishes, set them aside on some paper towel to soak up some of the juice. 

On a serving plate place radish on the bottom, top with eggplant and then rest of ingredients.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small saucepan stir on medium until sugar is incorporated. Cool down and dress salad before serving.

Pork Belly

OMG, this was unbelievable I love Pork Belly and have always been a bit worried about cooking it. I worry that it would turn out tough. I adapted this recipe again from delicious with help from Mr Wong's. It was one I thought I could have a go.

Pork Belly

1kg Pork Belly skin on

2 cups soy sauce

1 cup of light soy sauce

1 bunch shallots

5 star anise

2 cinnamon quills

1kg caster sugar

1tbls chinese five spice

10cm ginger, chopped

 

Apple Salad

2 Granny Smith apples thinly sliced

2 shallots thinly sliced

2 tbls lemon juice

1 tbls olive oil.

First salt the pork, skin up and place in the fridge. Put the rest of the ingredients in a pan and simmer for an hour on low heat with a lid on. Brush the salt off the pork and place in the the saucepan, simmer for 2 hours turning pork about every 1/2 hour. Make sure you leave the lid on. Slice the pork drizzle some sauce over the top and serve with the apple mix.

Father's Day

I had so many recipes that I wanted to try out for Father's Day, I thought I would put a tasting plate together for an entree (really enough for a main) anyway the three dishes that I made were, Homemade Spring Rolls, Prawn Cakes and Pork Belly.I thought I might blog one at a time, however I took a picture of all three on the plate.

First of all the Prawn Cakes, these were surprising mild, it may have been the red curry paste, however they were not as spicy as I thought they may be. This recipe is adapted from a recipe that I found in delicious.

Prawn Cakes

500g green prawns
3tbls red curry paste
1 large red chilli (deseeded)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tsp fish sce
Oil for deep frying

Cucumber Relish

1 Lebanese cucumber
1 long red chilli
2 tbls caster sugar
2 tbls rice vinegar
2 shallots
1 handful coriander
1cm piece ginger (grated)
Process all of the above prawn cake ingredients (except the oil) in a food processor, rest in fridge for 10 mins. Roll into balls, slightly wet hands help so they don't stick. Make a small indent in the top.Chill again . Make the cucumber relish, finely dice the cucumber, red chilli, shallots and coriander. Add vinegar, caster sugar and ginger together whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add to the cucumber mixture. I cooked these in my wok at 180 degrees and serve with relish on top. Great to serve as an hors d'oeuvre, you could make more of a dipping sauce instead of the relish sitting on top.

Here goes

    Well my first post. Thought I would share a picture of some Sticky Date Cupcakes, which I made for a friends 40th. They have a light cream cheese icing on top and sprinkled with some gold dust.

     Made some toffee to go in the top and before I served them I heated up some caramel sauce and poured over the top. They went down very well.