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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Prosciutto Caprese Salad

This salad has the traditional ingredients of a Caprese salad with the addition of D'Orsogna Prosciutto.

It's very simple to prepare and is always a crowd pleaser. It's also a great side salad for a BBQ.

Ingredients
2x 90gm Packs D'Orsogna Prosciutto
3-4 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
1x Tub Bocconcini, sliced
Handful of Basil Leaves
Olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt and Cracked Pepper to serve

Method

Arrange the Tomatoes, Bocconcini  and Basil Leaves evenly in a pattern on a serving platter and fold the Prosciutto around the salad.

Season with Salt and Pepper and drizzle with Oil and Vinegar to serve.

Serves 4-5 (as a side dish)

Prep Time: 10 Mins

Cook Time: Nil

 

 

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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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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Pickled Jalapenos

Every year throughout the warmer months we always have a few chilli plants on the go. It amazing how many chilli's can grow on the one plant throughout the season!

The ones that I find grow the easiest and are the most eaten in our household are the jalapeno variety. I find them just the right amount of heat (call me a wuss!) and they have that lovely chilli flavour and smell.

These warmer months, however don't last forever, so for the last few years I've found myself pickling and jarring them to keep in the pantry to use through the year without having to buy them.

Here is my simple recipe to have you growing, pickling and enjoying your home-grown chilli's long after the growing season has passed.

These also make great gifts, and alot of people love the effort that goes into homemade products.

1 Cup White vinegar
1 Cup Water
1.5 TBSP salt and sugar
1 TBSP whole peppercorns
5-6 Whole cloves
2 Garlic cloves
1 Star anise
2 Cups Jalapeno chilli's

Wash your preserving jars and lids then bring them to the boil in a large soup/preserving pot for 5 minutes. Set aside until filling stage.

Simmer all the ingredients, except chilli's for 2-3 minutes until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add chilli's (you can chop them up, like I have, or leave them whole) and simmer for 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and set side for 10 minutes.

Using tongs, drain jars and lids and carefully ladle or spoon chillies into the jars and well as the liquid. Be sure to add the peppercorns and spices as these will only add flavour as they develop.

Fill to 1cm below the top and screw the lid on and invert. It pays to use good thick oven mitts doing this process as the jars and liquid are very hot! Always make sure the jars are just as hot as the contents going in or else this will result in the jars cracking.

Leave the jars upside down until they're completely cool. The lids should have sealed and you can now store these in your pantry or give out as little gifts.

This recipe has enough liquid for 3-4 250ml preserving jars.

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How to Pack the Perfect Picnic

How To Pack the Perfect Picnic

Summer does not last all year, so it’s important to take advantage of the nice weather as much as possible while it’s here. Have you thought about taking your meals outdoors?

Perth has some gorgeous picnic spots, from the beautiful gardens at Burswood Park and the sheltered picnic tables at the Bibra Lake Reserve to the Queen’s Gardens and of course the beautiful Swan Valley. Lilac Hill Park in the Swan Valley is great for both family picnics and romantic afternoon lunches in the park - it has a stunning picnic area on the river. See a full list of parks and picnic areas in the Swan Valley here.

The Main Dish

When it comes to picnic food, simple and clean is the best way to go. Choose something healthy that you can prepare at home and bring to your picnic spot that won't require an extreme temperature, lots of dishes or utensils, or a big clean up.

Sandwiches are a delicious staple for any Perth picnic. You can pack the toppings separately, and have everyone build their own sandwich outdoors.

Stop at your local deli for some fresh meats, cheeses, and veggies. In your picnic basket, include onions, lettuce, slices of your favourite cheese, a tomato, some pickles and perhaps some avocado to spread on top.

The bonus here is that a make-your-own-sandwich picnic allows everyone, even the picky eaters, to eat what they like, there are few dishes and utensils required, and almost no clean up.

The Side Dish

Even if you add veggies to your main dish, it’s always nice to have a side dish that is healthier than potato chips. Potato salad or fruit salad can both be prepared at home, stored in a dish and served on a plate without making a mess.

If you're in a rush or looking for finger foods, cutting up some fresh fruit and vegetables requires little preparation and little clean-up. If you want to spice it up a little bit, you could make some homemade vegetable dip to be shared. Try baby carrots and hummus, grapes, berries, or even chunks of cheese with crackers.

Picnic Beverages 

While water is always a great option, it can be nice to dress up a picnic with something sweet to quench your thirst. Pink lemonade made from fresh lemons, water, and sugar to taste is perfect for the summer sun whether your picnic is for a date or a day out with friends/family. 

Remember that mixing a drink like homemade lemonade is a great way to get your kids involved in preparing for the picnic! Partially freezing your drinks before you pack your picnic helps minimise the risk of spilling while keeping your drinks colder for longer, even if they're left sitting in the sun.

For store-bought drinks and other items just remember that a bottle or can opener may be needed, so it’s always good to have them in the picnic bag, just in case!

Dessert

No picnic is complete without a tasty snack for dessert, and these homemade dark chocolate cookies definitely make the cut.

The recipe is simple - it only has six ingredients! You'll need dark chocolate, butter, sugar, two eggs, baking powder, and flour.

The best way to keep your cookies fresh on a picnic is to pack them in an airtight container with a piece of stale bread - it keeps your cookies fresh and soft until you are ready to eat them. 

When it comes to dessert, try to avoid solid chocolate or frosting, both of which could melt in the sun. Store bought or homemade cookies, brownies, or even more fresh fruit can also be a great picnic dessert. 

Kid-Friendly Munchies

Picnics are a great way to get the kids outdoors and to explore a new place around Perth. However, kids can be messy even at home, so it's usually better to keep it simple. Fresh cut local fruit or veggies are a good option, or, if you want to let the kids help with the preparation, consider a simple recipe like devilled eggs or homemade fruit, nut and seed bars.

Author Bio: This post was written by Jodee Wearne, the owner and manager of Just In Time Gourmet in Perth. Jodee and her family, love heading out on picnics which is why they have created a speciality range of gourmet picnic hampers to tempt the taste buds, which can be delivered directly to your door (with free Perth metro delivery!) – see these here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Print Hall

To celebrate Becoming the WA Finalist for The Noosa International Food and Wine Show ILVE Presents Australia's Best Home Cook , my Hubby and I were invited to Print Hall for the media launch the next day along with Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien, the co-founders of the Festival and a few of the sponsors. Print Hall has been on my list for so long I was excited to try Executive Chef Shane Watsons amazing food. We headed to the function room on the 2nd floor and it didn't take me long to spot the menu and folded in the napkins.

Duck Liver Parfait was my Hubby's first course. Generous mounds of lovely smooth and rich parfait topped with salted plum, cherry and Geraldton wax.

My first course was the vegetarian option; New Season Vegetables which was lovely steamed asparagus and yellow squash, savoury soya milk and a big roasted malt wafer! I love asparagus and the fresh dill paired with the other elements perfectly!

For mains I had the Pan Roasted Barramundi that was topped with Coorong Pippis, courgette and dill. The skin was lovely and crispy and the Barra cooked to perfection.

David Blackmore's Wagyu Beef Bavette was a cracker of a dish! My husband loved the cut of beef which they cooked perfectly medium-rare and it was accompanied with leek, roasted pepper, cornichons, beef tendon and a rich jus. The beef tendon was soft; almost jelly like with a light meaty flavour, quite hard to describe.

The desserts we chose were Sweet Chaos with sweet parfait, honeycomb, mandarin and lavender and The Bittersweet Chocolate Tart which was lovely dark chocolate ganache snaked across the plate adorned with caramel almonds, crumbled caramel popcorn and ice cream. Both desserts were delicious.

 

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ILVE presents Australias Best Home Cook Competition - Noosa International Food and Wine Festival 2015 and Lunch at Print Hall

Earlier this year I received an email congratulating me that I'd been chosen as a finalist for a Competition held by The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival. The competition is ILVE Presents "Australia's Best Home Cook" and its to showcase the rise of the modern, everyday home cook.

After receiving more info about the cook-off it was all coming excitingly clear that I had a 1 in 3 chance to represent WA and attend the Festival In May at Noosa! What a fantastic prize!

The dish I'd chosen is a very easy dish, in fact the recipe is here. It's called Shakshuka and is basically a thick tomato sauce with Moroccan spices, beans and chorizo. Its simmered for a good 30-40 minutes before cracking some eggs around in the sauce and letting the hot simmering cook the eggs to your liking. It is then served with crusty bread to mop up the tasty goodness.

Cook off day had arrived and I headed to the ILVE Showroom in Osborne Park. My Hubby then met up with me at the showroom for moral support and to bring my bread knife that I forgot!

Cooking at home in your own kitchen is fun, comfortable and every appliance you know how to use. Cooking in a foreign kitchen is a quite daunting; not to mention cooking under pressure and the judges watching your every move. The showroom was full of beautiful brand new ovens, gas cook tops and induction cook tops which took a little help from the friendly staff on how to use, but once we knew, it took a bit of stress off.

I was so happy to see that my big heavy based Scanpan pan I brought from home worked on the new induction cook top, so I used that to cook my dish and the heat control was fantastic. Usually at home when I simmer on low I find it catches on the bottom of the pan but this was simmering the whole pan gently and constant.

We had 2 hours to cook off and the ambience wasn't stressful but more calm. We had all obviously cooked our dishes heaps of times before, so we eased straight into cooking mode fast.

My dish was presented, eaten and judged 2nd in line. I gave the judges a brief description of the dish and explained how versatile and easy it was to cook.

The judges deliberated and their decision was final. I was stoked to be chosen as the winner of the WA round!! I now get the chance to cook off in May at the Noosa Festival. I've never been to Noosa but I've been hearing its a lovely place and the Festival is so much fun, I'm really looking forward to it!!

To celebrate my Hubby and I were invited to Print Hall for the media launch the next day along with Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien, the co-founders of the Festival and a few of the sponsors. Print Hall has been on my list for so long I was excited to try Executive Chef Shane Watsons amazing food. We headed to the function room on the 2nd floor and it didn't take me long to spot the menu folded in the napkins.

Duck Liver Parfait was my Hubby's first course. Generous mounds of lovely smooth and rich parfait topped with salted plum, cherry and a smear of Geraldton wax on the side.

My first course was the vegetarian option; New Season Vegetables which was lovely steamed asparagus and yellow squash, savoury soya milk and a big roasted malt wafer! I love asparagus and the fresh dill paired with the other elements perfectly!

For mains I had the Pan Roasted Barramundi that was topped with Coorong Pippis, courgette and dill. The skin was lovely and crispy and the Barra cooked to perfection.

David Blackmore's Wagyu Beef Bavette was a cracker of a dish! My husband loved the cut of beef which they cooked perfectly medium-rare and it was accompanied with leek, roasted pepper, cornichons, beef tendon and a rich jus. The beef tendon was soft; almost jelly like with a light meaty flavour, quite hard to describe.

The desserts we chose were Sweet Chaos with sweet parfait, honeycomb, mandarin and lavender and The Bittersweet Chocolate Tart which was lovely dark chocolate ganache snaked across the plate adorned with caramel almonds, crumbled caramel popcorn and ice cream. Both desserts were delicious.

Extremely satisfied from our sumptuous lunch we then had a speech from one of the Founders of the Noosa Festival Jim Berardo who gave us a brief history of the event and how its changed and grown over the years. Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien first started the Festival over a decade ago as a way to thank all the suppliers of the Berardo Restaurant. It's gotten bigger and better each year and now has over 25,000 people attending the 4 day event each year.

Jim then introduced Print Hall's Executive Chef Shane Watson to everyone and he gave a speech about the menu that we just ate and his plans for The Noosa Festival.  If your planning on heading to The Noosa International Food &Wine Festival this year Shane will be in charge of the Audi Asian Food Trail on the Thursday and Friday so get your tickets!

I cannot wait for May to roll around and get a chance to attend this awesome festival and cook off against the other fantastic Home Cooks!

Keep an eye out for my next post: Australia's Best Home Cook Competition Finale!

Visit The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival Website.

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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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The Bayswater Hotel/Motel

We've been regulars at the "Baysie" for years now. When our daughter was young it was a great place to get out of the house and enjoy a beer and some lunch in the spacey, clean beer garden they have which has a small kids playground.

 

 

 
  
 They've recently had a re-furb and the main bistro area inside is a great spot for big/family bookings where they do Buffet lunch and dinners.

The menu has been upgraded and I noticed a few things taken off, and a few things added. The pizza menu is now very extensive.

 

 

My Hubby had the Fish Po'boy, a fish burger on a baguette type bun. $16.90

I had the Pulled Pork Roll with Coleslaw and Red Wine Jus, which was really good, I could taste a subtle hint of red wine but it wasn't overpowering. Served with chips for $17.90

A Jug of Coopers was about $21 and the Kids Menu's are $10 with GF and Vegetarian options too.

This was my daughters pizza and she ate all of it!

Inside in the bistro they have a kids karaoke machine and a playground outside to keep the kids entertained while you have lunch.

The Buffet menu changes daily, is served 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch and is great value.

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