Carrot & Macadamia Cake

I baked this cake a few times and each time it's so delicious. Just watch it to ensure it doesn't burn!

From pantry

1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup sultanas 

2 eggs
1/2 cup macadamia oil
 

From Food box

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot, firmly packed

To create

Sift together into a bowl the wholemeal flour, cinnamon and baking soda.
Add the chopped macadamias, raw sugar, sultanas and grated carrot.
Lightly beat together the eggs with the macadamia oil and then add it to the cake mixture.
Stir all ingredients together and pour into a well greased or lined cake tin.
Bake for 45 minutes at 180'C.
Depending on the moisture content of the carrot, it may take longer than 45 minutes. Simply cover with foil and cook further 10-20 minutes (skewer will come out clean when ready).
Serve by simply dusting with icing sugar or a cream cheese frosting.

YUUUMMMMYYYY!! 

From Lorne Valley Macadamia Farm

Roots Bake

I also served this along with Garden Brunch Bake with steaks/snags for the BBQ lunch with friends, and by the end of lunch, all were gone except for a couple of snags!

From Food Box

2 large potatoes

2 med parsnips

2 med swedes

1 med white sweet potato/kumera

From fridge

200ml single cream (I used leftover buttermilk from butter making other day)

105ml milk

75g grated cheddar cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and pecorino cheese)

2 garlic cloves (being lazy, I just used the minced garlic in jar - organic Jensen's, of course)

From pantry

butter/olive oil for greasing

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg (I used half teaspoon powdered nutmeg)

sea salt and black pepper

To create

Peel all the vegies, and cut them into thin slices (I got the V-Slicer so it was a job done quicker). Place the sliced vegies into a steamer and steam till soft, approx 5 - 10 minutes and let it cool.

Meanwhile, put cream (buttermilk) and cream in a heavy pan, add garlic and bring to boil over a medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand to room temperature for about 10 minutes (this is to allow the flavour of garlic to infuse into the cream mixture).

Preheat oven to 180 degrees/160 degrees fan-forced. Have the shallow baking dish greased with butter or oil. Arrange the steamed sliced vegies in layers in the dish, sprinkle each layer with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Pour in the cream mixture in the dish and press down the vegies into the liquid.

Cover the dish with baking paper and bake for 45 minutes.

Then remove the baking paper from dish and sprinkle cheese over the vegies in an even layer.

Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for a further 20-30 minutes, or until the vegies are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Yum!

I tweaked this recipe from: the Organic Cookbook by Ysanne Spevack (Lorenz Books: 2006)

Garden Brunch Bake

I baked this yesterday for an informal BBQ lunch with friends and it went very well with both adults and kids!

From Food Box

1 cup leek, diced

6 cups fresh Kale and English Spinach, chopped

2 cups fresh Broccoli, finely chopped (I used hand food processor for this)

1 teaspoon/clove of garlic

1 whole tomato, diced (I used hand food processor for this)

From pantry

2 teaspoons of oil

5 whole eggs

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used plain flour here as I've ran out of wholewheat flour)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 dash pepper

From fridge

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

To create

Have the oven preheated to 180 degrees or 160 degrees for fan-forced, and get the serving pan/tray lined with baking paper and spray all over with cooking oil.

Heat the oil in large frying pan over medium heat, add leeks and cook until translucent. Then add the chopped green vegies and put in some water if it looks dry. Cook for 3-4 minutes (it can be covered or just keep stirring like I did) until vegies are bright green and limpy enough. Add garlic and stir through then remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat 5 eggs then whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Stir in tomato and cooked vegies.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and bake for thirty minutes, or until the centre is set. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

Yum! 

I got this recipe from:  Garden Brunch Bake - Tasty Kitchen

Delicious Vegie Sauce with Pasta

Tonite I threw in a pile of vegies in and toss with pasta. Family loved it...

From Food box

2 Leeks, sliced

A bagful of Mushies, sliced (mushrooms)

1 Zucchini, sliced

2 Carrots, sliced

A handful of green beans, ends snipped off

A handful of Kale, shredded

From pantry

1 teaspoon of garlic

Olive Oil

1 bottle of pasta sauce (I used Brothers' Summer Basil)

A pot full of cooked pasta (I used penne pasta)

To create

Cook both leeks and mushies with olive oil till they're soft n brown, add zucchini and stir for a while in a deep based pan. Put aside in a bowl n keep warm.

Cook carrots in bit of olive oil then add sauce and bring to boil. Stir in the Leek mix in this sauce, until all's mixed well. Throw in green beans and kale and when the kale softens, stir in garlic.

Let it simmer for a few minutes then mix thoroughly with the pasta and serve!

Enjoy!

Darls' Stew

Tonite we had a delicious stew cooked by a slow cooker!

From Food box

5 carrots, peeled and cut thick

7 'small' potatoes, peeled and cut thick cubes

1 large onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves of garlic (I love garlic! so adjust to your taste)

From butcher

600 g chuck steak, cut in thick cubes

From fridge

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of TB sauce

3/4 cup of vegie stock

From pantry

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons of tomato paste

1 can of chopped tomatoes (I used a flavoured one - herb and garlic)

olive oil to brown the onion and meat

To create

1. Brown both onion (with garlic) and meat then put in the slow cooker

2. Sprinkle the cubed potatoes on top

3. Sprinkle the chopped carrots over ensure its all distributed evenly

4. In a large measuring cup, mix stock, sauces, salt and pepper, tin of tomatoes and tomato paste

5. Pour the liquid over the top of carrots, ensure its covered everywhere

6. Put slow cooker at high for 5 to 6 hours or at medium for 6 to 7 hours

7. At 30 mins before done, stir through the stew and put in thawed frozen peas in.

8. Serve straight away with some bread (too much carbs I know, but it soaks up lovely!)

There were some leftovers, so I've freezed them for future meals.

Happy chowing!

Dirty Fried Rice

Last nite I made a dish that I called "Dirty Fried Rice" - it's a hit with my family. Any vegetables that is nearly its end are good for this dish...

From Food box

1 clove garlic

2 large flat mushrooms

1 carrot

1 zucchini

From pantry

1 and half cup of brown and white rices

soy sauce

oil

boiled eggs (I used both chook and quails eggs as we have them here)

To create

1. Put brown rice on, boil for 15 minutes approx.

2. Using hand food processor, chop mushrooms, carrot and zucchini

3. Put oil and garlic in deep frypan, heat then add mushroom pieces and stir until its cooked enough

4. Add the carrot and zucchini and stir for another 10 minutes

5. In meanwhile, add white rice to the pot of brown rice (usually only need 15 minutes cooking)

6. Drain and rinse rice then add rice to the frypan and combine together

7. Give it a dose of soy sauce and stir quickly

8. Add chopped eggs and fold gently before serve.

Let me know how you go with this one, or if you've got a better improvisation...

Happy chowing!

The start of Food Box Recipes

After picking up my weekly food box containing organic vegetables and fruits, I realised I'd need recipes or ideas of using up all those. So here's the start of the recipes blog as it would remind me what I've tried and worked for my family (consists of 3 kids under 11).

Contributions from others are very much welcomed as it would give variety here!

All recipes will be based on seasonal food boxes and all designed for 4 serves (my two little ones usually counts as 1 adult serve anyway).

So in the organisation of this blog, I will include what I've got in the food box that week, the recipes I've found that fits in as I would like to use no less than 50% of the food box contents in each recipe. As I am on a Low GI diet (due to my health issues) so it will be 1/3 carb, 1/4 protein and the rest full of vegetables and herbs or fruits where needed.

Anyone who would like to add theirs, please do email me the full recipe with its source and I will post it here. It is open to all.

Thanks and happy chowing!