EASY CHOW MEIN

This one is Montana's favorite.  It always makes her feel better.  I know why.  Its because it has cabbage in the ingredients and cabbage is in the business of helping you detox toxins from your body.  So this one is for you Montana especially.

Ingredients:
1   pkt Continental Chow Mein Recipe Base
500 Grms Mince
1/4  Cabbage shredded
2     Carrots slice
1/2  Rice
Oil
2  Cups Water

Method:

1.  Heat oil in fry pan and brown mince well
2.  Add carrots, rice, recipe base, cabbage and water and cook down
3.  Keep turning and moving until the cabbage goes limp
4.  Cover and cook on low for 35 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
5. Add a little sweet honey Soy to serve.

Image by Mezza - Chow Mein in action

RUM BALLS

This recipe came from my friend Anne McDonagh's mother ( Marie McDonagh)  Each year at Christmas time she would make the rum balls for  her family and the family would all come over to help her.  I wanted to do something like this with my family so I started doing the same thing.



Ingredients:

60 grams Butter
250 grams Icing Sugar
2 tablespoons of Coconut
2 tablespoons of Cocoa
1 cup of sponge cake crumbs
1 cup of cut up sultanas
1/4 cup of crushed nuts
2 tablespoons of dark Rum.

Method:
1. Crumble cake crumbs, cut up sultanas
2. Melt the butter and add rum
3. Add all other dry ingredients and Sultanas to crumbs
4. Add melted butter and rum mix to the lot.
5. Use your hands (clean) to mix really well.
6. Roll into balls that are not too large, then roll in coconut
7. Refrigerate.


I always make double this recipe as a single batch isn't very many.  We give them away as gifts because so much love goes into preparing these gorgeous little babies.  Enjoy.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography - Rum balls

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PANCAKES

 

You cannot go past this easy to make delicious treat for breakfast or for a desert or for anytime you need to just have pancakes. 

If your going to cook pancakes then do it properly and properly is easy.  Better than those silly shaker things that are expensive in the supermarket.  You can whip up your own pancake batter yourself without too much trouble at all. 

Everyone loved pancakes and in this picture above is strawberries atop of this pancake with whipped butter maple syrup and the strawberries were grown by me.  This is easy and a cheap accessible way of obtaining endless antioxidants to keep you healthy and cancer free.  Strawberries and Blueberries are very very high in this.

My pancakes and strawberries from the garden

Ingredients:

  1 Cup of Self Raising Flour
  1 Cup of  Milk
  1 Egg

Method:

1.  Pre-heat a non-stick or cast iron fry pan
2.  Place the Egg Milk and Flour into a bowl and combine well
3.  Lightly grease the frying pan with butter or oil
4.  Spoon batter into the fry pan to cook until  bubbles start to burst on the top and the sides starts to dry out
5.  Turn them over and cook on the other side until they are brown.

I find that the pancake mix behaves better for cooking if it is allowed to sit covered on the bench for thirty minutes before attempting to cook the pancakes.  This recipe above is easy to remember if you just remember its 1 x 1 x 1 of the three thinks egg milk flour.

Images by Mezza  - Cooking Pancakes with Good Charlotte Strawberries

JAM DROPS

This is me on a biscuit making frenzy.  In this picture the Jam drops are in the biscuit barrel but they are still cooling and I am already onto making Anzac biscuits here. 

I had my first Jam drop at Aunty Emma's house at The Summit near Stanthorpe.  Emma Shatte was a legend to me and when I was little she was in her eighties then.  She could do fine needlework with no glasses.  Her eyesight was perfect.

My kids loved me making these biscuits and they never ever lasted long and I always made double this recipe for that reason.  I usually made double the recipe for most things.  It goes with the territory of having lots of mouths to feed.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade temperature.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Self Raising Flour
125 grms Butter
1/2 cup Castor Sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 Egg
3 to 4 tablespoons of milk
Raspberry Jam

Method:

1. Sift Flour into a bowl
2. Add butter and rub in with fingertips
3.Add vanilla and sugar
4. Lightly beat in the egg
5. Gradually add milk
6. Roll into tiny balls
7. Indent each ball and place a tiny bit of raspberry jam.
8. Bake in 200 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until nicely cooked
9. Cool on a wire rack
10. Recipe makes approximately 30 tiny biscuits and 24 larger ones.

Images by Mezza - Jam drops by the dozen made by me.

HOMEMADE PIZZA WITH FETTA

Pizza of all descriptions has long been a favorite of the family.  Take away Pizza is yummy because someone else makes it but really the best pizza is the ones you make yourself.

Pizza just out of the oven still on the tray ready to be sliced

I like to use what ever I have available to me and often use left overs as well.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Frozen or fresh bases or flat bread are all great for the pizza base.  Apply Leggo's type Pizza Sauce or the like.  Sprinkle the grated Cheeses .. both Cheddar and Mozzarella on the base with the sauce and then place all the toppings of your choice onto the top of the cheeses and then to be topped off with some crumbled Fetta cheese and Ground black pepper.

With regards to the oven temperatures you should follow instructions for the bases via the packaging.  Suffice to say it will be hot.

Toppings of choice / Spinach / Carrot / Onion / Pineapple / Capsicum / Zuchinni / garlic / Baked Pumpkin /Mushrooms / Different meat toppings ie ham or left over spaghetti sauce.

Pizza Cooking in the oven.

 Pizza Sauce - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-pizza-sauce-iii/

Ingredients

• 1 can tomato puree
• 1  can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, Mix together tomato sauce and tomato paste until smooth. Stir in oregano, garlic and paprika.

Pizza Bases:

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Makes

3 pizza bases

Ingredients

• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
• 2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
• Pinch of caster sugar
• 600g (4 cups) plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus extra for brushing

Method

1. Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and oil. Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until the mixture is combined. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
2. Brush a bowl lightly with oil. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in the prepared bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14433/pizza+dough

Images by Mezza - Our Homemade Pizza

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