Mini Bacon & Egg Pies

3 sheets puff pastry
5 rashers of bacon chopped into pieces
12 eggs

Preheat oven to 210C. Grease a muffin pan with butter. Fry bacon until cooked and drain. Cut pastry in half from top to bottom then left to right so you have 4 squares to each pastry sheet. Carefully line the muffin pans, add bacon and carefully crack an egg on top. Salt and pepper. Carefully fold the edges of the pastry over the egg, Brush with milk or egg wash and bake for 20-25mins.

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Antipasto Platter

I like to make one of these and keep it in the fridge for a few days and nibble away at it. Also good for a lazy dinner....perhaps on a weekend with a nice glass of wine :-)

Meats (Ham, salami, cabanossi etc)
Cheese (Hard: Cheddar, gouda, Soft: camembert, brie, persian feta, marinated feta)
Olives
Sundried tomatoes
Pickled gherkins
Pickled onions
Marinated artichokes
Dips (Pesto, French onion, chilli jam, quince paste, chutney)
Crackers,grissini sticks, rice crackers

Arrange on a nice platter. You can garnish the plate with lettuce leaves and lemon wedges if you want to make it look fancy for a party etc.

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Cherry Chocolate Tiramisu

250G Mascarpone cheese
150ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP Raw caster sugar
100G finely grated white chocolate, halved
1/2 can of pitted cherries in syrup, drained and chopped finely, 2 TBSP syrup reserved
250G packet of Savoiardi (Italian sponge finger biscuits)
2 TBSP cocoa + 1 TBSP caster sugar
Extra cocoa for topping

Whip cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks, add mascarpone cheese and beat until thickened. Stir in half of the grated white chocolate.

Mix 1 cup boiling water with the cocoa and sugar mixture in a wide bowl. Quickly soak the biscuits and arrange in a dish. Sprinkle cherries and syrup over biscuits and top with mascarpone mixture.

Dust with cocoa, remaining grated white chocolate and extra cherries. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

*You can by all means use coffee in the dunking mixture, like a real tiramisu, and also some kirsch (cherry flavoured liqueur) or brandy with the cherry syrup. But I usually keep mine child friendly.

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Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake

Quick and Easy. Topped with lots of cheese, perfect for cold nights!

3 Cups Milk
1 tsp garlic powder
4 TBSP cornflour dissolved in 4 TBSP water
3 cups grated tasty cheese
700ml jar tomato passata
1 large tin of drained tuna
1 cup frozen peas or corn (or both)
4 cups cooked pasta

Preheat oven to 200C.

Bring milk and garlic powder almost to the boil, stir in cornflour mixture and whisk until thickened. Add 1 cup of the cheese.

Mix in 1/2 of the jar of passata, tuna, pasta, peas/corn and pour into a casserole dish.

Top with cheese and bake uncovered for 40 mins or until hot.

Serves 4-6

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Honey Joys

I love Honey Joys, they are so easy and simple to make. Try making them with kids. They are also great for kids parties and cake stalls.

I got the recipe from the Kelloggs website below! YUM!

http://www.kelloggs.com.au/en_AU/honey-joys.html




 

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Zucchini, bacon & cheese Muffins

 

 

Sift 1.5 cups plain flour ino a bowl with 3 tsp baking powder and 1tsp salt. Add 1 cup grated zucchini, 1 cup grated cheese and 1/2 cup cooked bacon pieces and mix to combine. Mix in a small bowl 2 eggs, 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup oil or butter and add to the dry mixture, mix until combined (dont over mix) Spoon into paper or silicone muffin cups and bake for 20 mins on 200C.
Makes 16 muffins.

I've already eaten 4!! and will be freezing some for school lunch boxes.

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Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells (Conchiglioni)

1x 700ml bottle of Passata
3/4 cup chicken stock
400gm ricotta cheese
1/2 cup spinach, cooked and chopped
2 TBSP parmesan cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
200gm Pancetta, chopped
Basil leaves
Small tub of Bocconcini
1 cup grated cheese


Mix the Passata and stock together and pour into a casserole baking dish.

Mix the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, parmesan cheese and some chopped basil together and spoon into large pasta shells (also known as conchiglione).

Place shells on top of sauce, top with cheese and cover with alfoil. Bake for 45-50 mins until the pasta shells are cooked.

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Macadamia Pralines

Try these Macadamia Pralines!

Ingredients
1 big handful of macadamia nuts, toasted in a pan (or use any nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews etc!)
1/2up sugar
2 TBSP cold water

Spread toasted nuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Dissolve sugar and water in a small pan on medium heat, then increase to medium-high and simmer for 5-7 mins until just golden then turn off the heat and pour onto nuts and allow to cool for 20 mins. Break into shards and process in food processor until breadcrumb like.

Serve over icecream!

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Chicken and pineapple skewer

Chicken and pineapple skewers, with peanut satay sauce and Changs asian noodle salad

Peanut Satay Sauce
1tbsp oil
1/2 onion diced finely
1tsp garlic
1/2 tsp ginger
4 TBSP organic/natural peanut butter
1/2 can lite coconut milk
1/4 cup water
2 tsp soy sauce (i used ketjap manis)
2 TBSP sweet chilli sauce
1 TBSP sugar

Heat oil and saute onions, add garlic and ginger, stir in peanut butter. add coconut milk, stir and lightly simmer until combined, stir in water, soy, sweet chilli sauce, sugar and simmer for 2-3 mins until thickened.

You can store this in the fridge and use within 1 week or freeze the rest like i did

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