Yoghurt Pannacotta

Wooohooo! This is my first post for 2016 and definitely my first post in a while......we're all entitled to a break every now n then right...?

Anyways, I've been making this for a few months now...Pannacotta's are all the rage at the moment and you'll find them on most cafes Menu's around Perth especially in these warmer months.

I've become particularly fond of this Gippsland Dairy Yoghurt due to the way it combines creamily with the gelatine and also the delicious flavours they come in. This recipe I've used their Mango and Blood Orange Flavour.

My hubby loves these in the morning for a light breakfast served with some toasted muesli, milk and fresh fruit!

Yoghurt Pannacotta 

Recipe by April Kopf

Prep time: 4 mins

Makes: 6 Small Servings

 

Ingredients

 

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Yoghurt of your choice (I used Gippsland Dairy Mango and Blood Orange)

2 Teaspoons Gelatine (my rule is 1 tsp of gelatine per 1 cup of liquid)

30ml Boiling hot water

Method

Sprinkle Gelatine over the hot water and stir until gelatine is dissolved. Let cool.

Whisk the Yoghurt and Milk in a bowl or jug until combined and whisk in the gelatine mix.

Pour into moulds. I used these metal moulds I got from Kitchen Warehouse and I found there's no need to oil or grease them because they turn out quite easily.

Refrigerate overnight preferably, but I find if you make these mid-morning they'll be OK for dessert!

We usually have ours for a nice light breakfast with muesli, milk and fruit but they also go great for a snack anytime!

Enjoy!

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Johnny's Burger Joint

As another weekend rolls around I get excited, because it means I can browse through my ever- growing list of new and old eateries and choose which one to dine at that we haven't before.

On this particular day, we decided to pop our Johnny's Burger Joint cherries, so we piled into the car and set the GPS to Warton Road in Canning Vale. Some 45 minutes later we arrived at the busy shopping centre, spotted the shop and quickly found parking.

I was very surprised to see only a few small groups of people eating here as I've seen the hype these burgers cause on Instagram and Facebook.  Though upon being seated I did notice 2 big tables reserved for a big group gathering and the place did eventually fill up with hungry diners.

 

We were going to have the bacon and cheese fries but I just couldn't go past the waffle fries, I remember when HJ's did these when I was a kid an I loved them!! They were so delicious and crispy!

Both my Hubby and I couldn't pick between The Cure and The Juicy Lucy, so we decided to order them both and fight (nicely) over them when they come out later.

The first thing that I noticed when I stepped inside Johnny's was the milkshake machines lined up along the bench. The fridge is also stocked with various drinks and soft drinks which include some American Imported soft drinks, too.

We opted for 2 chocolate milkshakes and a can of diet coke. The milkshakes were icy cold and thick; I shared mine with my daughter but was only allowed the one gulp!! My husband thought the Milkshake was a pretty good one too!

My Husband's Juicy Lucy burger was smothered in Hickory sauce and the big beef patty was oozing melted cheese....delicious!

My Cure Burger - Bacon Infused Beef patty, bacon, fried onion ring and Johnny special sauce made for a tasty treat and was definitely great value .The burgers are pretty big and around the $14 mark, I left some behind as I was so full!

 

 

Overall, our first time at Johnny's was a delicious one, we just wish it wasn't so far away!

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Chilli Con Queso - Mexican Cheese Dip

This recipe is to die for! It's a hot cheese dip with Mexican flavours and is great to whip up when you have a few friends over for some drinks.

I remember as a kid going out with my family to our local Mexican restaurant Acapulco Annie's and ordering this every single time!

Ingredients
3 spring onions, sliced thinly, reserving half for garnish
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Mexican seasoning spice
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Handful of coriander, chopped finely
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 block Kraft velveeta cheese, grated
2 TBSP parmesan cheese
4 tbsp jalapeno chillis, chopped finely, reserving half for garnish
1 cup milk

Method
Place everything in a microwave safe jug and heat on high for 3-4 minutes whisking halfway. Mixture should be thick, hot and combined.

Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with spring onions,jalapeno chillies and cracked pepper. Serve with corn chips and raw vegetable sticks.

 

Leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated within 4-5 days.

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Salame Romano, Jalapeno and Feta Mini Quiches

These mini quiches are delicious to make for parties or just to snack on at home. 

Filled with D'Orsogna Salame Romano, jalapeno chillies and feta cheese, they're very simple to prepare and bake.

If you're making these for kids you can omit the spicy chillies and they will still be tasty.

Ingredients
2 Sheets Shortcrust Pastry
1x 150gm pack of D'Orsogna Salame Romano
2 TBSP Pickled Jalapenos, Chopped
3 TBP Marinated Feta Cheese
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Milk
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 210C.

Thaw out the pastry sheets and cut circles using an 8cm fluted cutter.

Arrange circles in a muffin tin lined with silicone muffin pans.

Dice 5 slices of D'Orsogna Salame Romano and spread evenly amongst pastries along with the Jalapenos and Feta Cheese.

 

 

Whisk eggs, milk and salt and pepper to taste, in a jug and pour evenly over each pastry being careful not to overfill.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

 

 

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 18 mins

You can find this recipe in the La Cucina section of the D'Orsogna website.

 

This recipe was created in partnership with D'Orsogna Smallgoods

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Easy Croque Madame

Impress your family with this Easy Croque Madame Recipe. Using D'Orsogna Premium Leg Ham and then topped with an egg, this makes a quick, delicious snack!

Ingredients
4 Slices of Bread
6 Slices of Cheese
1x 180gm D'Orsogna Premium Leg Ham
2 Eggs
Butter
Salt and Pepper


Method
Butter all the slices of bread and place 2 slices of cheese on 2 pieces of bread. Fold in half 4 slices of ham and place 2 on top of the cheese.

 

Top with remaining pieces of bread (butter side down) and toast in a sandwich toaster until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.

While the sandwiches are cooking, heat up a small pan on medium heat and add 1 tsp of butter. Once the butter has melted crack in 2 eggs and cook for 1 minute. Turn of the heat, cover and let the eggs sit for 1 minute then place on top of the sandwiches.

 

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

 

You can find this recipe in the La Cucina section of the D'Orsogna website.

 

This recipe was created in collaboration with D'Orsogna Smallgoods.

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Arancini Balls

Arancini Balls
This recipe is a very basic recipe of Arancini. Please feel free to flavour the risotto, if you prefer, with mushrooms, pumpkin etc.

Risotto
1 Onion, chopped
2 tsp crushed garlic
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 Cups Arborio rice
4 Cups Hot Chicken stock (or vegetable)
Saffron threads (steeped into the Chicken stock)

Sauté the onion and garlic in some oil for a few minutes then add the rice and stir to coat.

Pour over the stock and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes on low until the liquid is absorbed and the rice soft, stirring every few minutes.

Uncover and stir roughly for about 1 minute to release the starch, then leave to cool in the fridge.
(You can make this the day before)

Arancini
Risotto Mix
1//3 Cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
1.5 Cups Panko Crumbs
Baby Bocconcini

Lightly mix in the Parmesan Cheese to the Risotto mix.

Scoop up some rice (about egg size) and lightly squeeze into a ball (this helps if your hands are slightly wet). Press an indent with your finger to the middle of the ball and push in the baby bocconcini and cover with a little bit more rice.

Coat the ball in the beaten egg and then into the Panko Crumbs. Place on a plate and refrigerate until ready.

Heat up some oil and fry for a few minutes on each side until crispy and golden.

*I served these Arancini Balls with some Homemade Pasta Sauce but you can serve them with a big salad or some Aioli.

*These can be made ahead and fried on the day. They can also be reheated in a low/med oven for 15-20 minutes.

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Crepes with Creme Patissiere and Macerated Strawberries

I love the crepes and custard combo, and this recipe makes a lovely dessert for dinner parties or anytime really.

Crepes
2 eggs
1 1/4 Cup Milk
1 TBSP Sugar
1 Cup Plain Flour

Sift dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk in combined wet ingredients until smooth. Rest for 5 mins before using.

Crème Patissiere (microwave version)
1 Egg 1 Egg Yolk
4 TBSP Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2.5 TBSP Cornflour
2.5 Cups Milk

In a Pyrex jug whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, cornflour and Vanilla until thick. Whisk in milk and microwave for 1 minute then whisk.
Then microwave for 30 sec at a time stirring in between until you have a thick custard. Place cling wrap on top of the custard to stop a skin forming, refrigerate until cold before using.

Macerated Strawberries
Half a punnet of strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tsp caster sugar
Juice from 1/4 of a Lemon

Mix everything together and leave at room temp.

Assembly

You can stack the crepes on top of each other with the custard in between or you can spread the custard over and fold then in quarters like I've done in the photo.

Spoon over the strawberries.

Enjoy!

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Chilli-Garlic Tomato Sauce Recipe

Chilli-Garlic Tomato Sauce Recipe

800gm Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 brown onion, diced

2 TBSP garlic, chopped

1 TBSP small hot red chilli's, chopped

2 tsp salt

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp pepper

1 clove

 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours and low for 4-6 hours. Blend with a stick mixer and pour into hot sterilized jars, seal and cool.

 

Makes approx. 3 cups. These make great gifts for Christmas etc!

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Homestead Brewery at Mandoon Estate

We visited Homestead Brewery on the very first weekend they opened. It was a lovely warm day and we were greeted by a friendly staff member who gave us a quick run down of the Menu.

We started by having small tastings of the 4 Beers they had on tap. I chose to drink the Thunderbird IPA which went down very nice and didn't leave that heavy feeling in my stomach that I usually find with craft beers.

We took a seat on the veranda in the beautiful sun over looking the newly sprouting green vines whilst looking over the menu.

 

 

The menu is great, you can order some tapas and cheese platters to share with friends over a few drinks. Light and main meals are also available, kids meals and a pizza menu where the wood-fired pizzas are made using house-made dough.

Out the back they have a new, fully fenced playground with soft-fall and shade sails. The grassed area is huge, it has heaps of bench tables, is shady and is a great place to bring a picnic rug and sit under the trees or in the sun. The outdoor bar serve beer and wine to the grassed area and they also have a little deli to the left where you can purchase cheese platters and add some charcuterie meats and fresh baked rolls to your platter. Pizza's are also available here and come out in a take away box so its easy to dispose of.

 

 

 

 

 

The outside also backs onto the river which would be a great spot to tie up your Kayak or boat and walk up and grab a drink and a bite to eat. Just note that the Jetty there is Private and belongs to Sandalford!

After watching our daughter play on the playground for a bit we ventured back inside and walked past the Mandoon Estate Fine Dining Restaurant which was lovely and fancy, I'll be back to try this one day soon.

For lunch my daughter chose the kids Margherita Pizza and ate it all! Love the homemade dough.

I had the Pork and Fennel Tacos which were tasty, light and filling.

Hubby ordered the Fish and Chips and A friend had the Wagyu Burger on a Brioche Bun .

The meals came out within a reasonable time frame and were presented nicely. Next time I think ill try the Mussels, they sounded so good.

There's plenty of seating around the place, tables, lounges and picnic benches and if this place is bustling you'd still be able to grab a seat somewhere and enjoy a drink or 2 without feeling crowded.

Photo credit J Staniforth

 

 

They had a live band playing outside when we finished our lunch and it was so nice enjoying a glass of red whilst listening to classic Aussie live music.



Photo credit J Staniforth

Whilst inside looking through the glass walls at the shiny new brew tanks, we spotted a Taxi Phone. How great is that! And being not that far into the Valley I can probably guarantee you wont be waiting too long for a cab too.

We also had the General Manager come over and ask us how our food and general experience of the place was. After a little chat we told him we look forward to becoming regulars.

Homestead brewery at Mandoon Estate are open 7 days a week. No more wondering through the valley thirsty on a Monday/Tuesday, head on down here!

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