The Recipe Book

I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds so easy. My kind of cake! Easy, and harly any mess to clean up.


All-In-One Chocolate

1 cup SR flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 tbs butter
2 tbs cocoa
few drops vanilla essence

1. Tip all ingredients into a basin.
2. Beat for 3 minutes.
3. Cook in a moderate oven for 40 minutes.

A Cook's Thesaurus

Good for looking up possible substitutions for cooking ingredients, depending on the use.

Kahlua Fudge Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 cups chocolate crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Filling
1 pound cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy ream
1/3 cup Kahlúa
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Kahlúa

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix chocolate crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into a springform pan. Bake crust for 4 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

Using a mixer, blend softened cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. When smooth, add 3/4 cup heavy cream along with Kahlúa. Mix well and set aside.

Over low heat, melt 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1/2 cup heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over crust. Pour chocolate mixture into a circle over cream cheese mixture. Swirl chocolate through mixture with a knife. Bake cake for about 1 hour 20 min or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

Melt Glaze ingredients over very low heat. Stir until smooth as it melts. Spoon on top of chilled cake, allowing some to run down sides.

NOTE: allow cheesecake to cool, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight before cutting.

Makes 16 servings (LOL! Yeah, right!)

Easy Apple Strudel
A yummy and very easy dessert for a cold winter night!

2-3 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sultanas
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
60g melted butter
6 sheets filo pastry

1. Brush the sheets of pastry with melted butter and layer them into a greased baking tray.
2. Arrange the sliced apple in the middle of the pastry then simply sprinkle brown sugar, walnuts and sultanas over the apple. Pour any left over melted butter over the apples.
3. Wrap the pastry up into a log shape ensuring you tuck the ends in.
4. Bake in a moderate oven (180°C) for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
5. Serve topped with cream or ice-cream!

Mmmm, this sounds like it would be SO GOOD with nice crusty bread

Roasted Onion Soup

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
3 Spanish onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup brandy
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic head, large, cloves separated, peeled and cut in half
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 large shallots, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced


Set oven rack at the lowest level; preheat to 450 degrees. Combine onions, shallots, garlic and oil in a large shallow roasting pan. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden. Remove from oven and pour in one-quarter of the chicken stock. Stir liquid in the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen and dissolve any caramelized bits (The liquid will become quite dark). Transfer the onion mixture to a soup pot and add brandy, thyme and the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with Parmesan cheese.

For those of us who are running out of ideas.

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/

http://www.chefs.com/

http://www.epicurious.com/

http://www.recipezaar.com

http://www.recipelink.com/

http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/index.html

The last one is more tips and ideas for doing things the "Old ways", but there's also plenty of recipes as well.

Potatoes Deluxe

500g potatoes, peeled and halved
400g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut same as potatoes
200g pumpkin, peeled and cut same as potatoes
1 tbsp oil
30g butter
1-2 large onions, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp seeded honey mustard
1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
200g fetta, cut into cubes
salt and pepper

1. Cook potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pieces in saucepan until soft. Drain *very* well.

2. Fry the onions in the oil and butter until just soft, add the garlic and fry another minute.

3. Add the cooked vegetables, mustard and rosemary, tossing until heated through.

4. Add the fetta and stir fry another couple of minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

I made some no added sugar, almost fat-free pineapple muffins!

And they're really good, too! Not as sweet as a regular muffin, but still moist and soft, and I think sweet enough.




Pineapple Muffins


1 1/2 cups SR Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup skim milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp oil
1 x 8oz can crushed pineapple

Drain the pineapple and reserve the liquid. Sift dry ingredients. Blend the milk, eggs, oil and reserved juice until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients with the pineapple until thoughly moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 400F (200C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

* notes. I needed more flour, so I don't know how the recipe is somehow missing something. I'm not sure how much extra (maybe half a cup?), but I just added it until it looked more like muffin batter than coating batter :P. I also exchanged the cinnamon and nutmeg for the equivalent in Festive Pie Spice, and it's really good. Mmmm, and some chopped walnuts would be nice in there, too.

3 slices of day old bread
butter
jam
2 eggs
2 cups of milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 dessertspoons sugar
cinnamon or nutmeg
1/2 cup sultanas or golden raisins

Butter the bread and spead with a thin layer of jam. Cut off crusts. Cut the bread into 4 and layer into a baking dish. Add sultanas

Mix together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and sugar, and pour over the bread. Allow to soak for half an hour.

Sprinkle over the cinnamon or nutmeg, and bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes or until set.

Serve warm with ice cream, cream or custard.

Variation: Ommit jam, and add 1 full cup sultanas or golden raisins instead.

Courtesy of Nigella Lawson's Feast book

2 small or 1 large thin skinned orange approx 14oz total weight
6 eggs
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups ground almonds
1 1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
orange peel for garnish if desired

Put orange/oranges in a pan with some cold water ,bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours or until soft.Drain.When cool,cut oranges in half and remove any big seeds.Then pulp everything,pith,peel and all in a food processor.

Once the orange is cold,preheat the oven to 350 degrees,butter and line an 8 inch pan

Add the eggs,baking powder,baking soda,almonds,sugar and cocoa to the orange in the food processor.Run until you have a cohesive mixture but can still see flecks of pureed orange.(there is a way to make without the food processor.Let me know if you want those directions.)

Pour into cake pan and bake for an hour.Check after 45 minutes.you may have to cover with aluminum foil to prevent the cake from burning before it is cooked through in the center.Oven temps vary so it is very important to check it. Leave to cool in the pan.Once it is cooled ,you may remove it and garnish with orange peel if desired.