Month: May 2018

Waffles are a firm fav in our household – they are versatile like pancakes and each family member can choose their preferred topping. Here’s how to make a delicious batch of waffles for mum on Mother’s Day…

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 2 cups plain flour
• ½ tsp table salt
• 1 tbs baking powder
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Milk and white chocolate chips, to serve
• Mixed berries, to serve
• Coloured sprinkles, to serve
• Chopped mixed nuts, to serve
• Whipped vanilla bean cream, to serve
• Honey, to serve
• Maple syrup, to serve
• Orange juice, to serve

Method:
1. Preheat a waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and whisk together. In a small bowl, combine, eggs, milk, butter and vanilla and whisk to combine.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth.
4. Grease both sides of the waffle iron. Depending on the size of your waffle iron, add 1/3 – 1/2 cup of batter, close the lid and cook for 3 minutes or until golden.
5. Serve your waffles stacked high with all the crazy toppings you can find.

Tip: The toppings are the best part! Try a berry coulis, a chocolate or a caramel sauce. Sliced banana, a big scoop of ice cream or your favourite chocolate bar sliced up. Let your imagination run wild.

Crème brulee is my dessert of choice if it’s on the menu when I go out for a meal. Many of my girlfriends are also fans, so I reckon this dessert is a guaranteed winner for Mother’s Day. And you’ll get extra Brownie Points for making it yourself!

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 2 ½ cups (625ml) thickened cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 tbs caster sugar, plus 1/3 cup extra for brulee top
• 2 tsp cornflour
• Mixed berries, to serve

Method:
1. In a Pyrex 4 cup capacity glass jug, combine cream, yolks, vanilla, sugar and cornflour and whisk. 
2. Microwave on high for 5 minutes and whisk. Continue microwaving in 1-2 minute increments until custard thickens to a dollop consistency. 
3. Divide custard between four Pyrex 1 cup capacity glass prep bowls.
4. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of caster sugar over the surface of each custard in an even layer. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar until golden. Serve with mixed berries.

Tip: Make these up to 5 days in advance and store covered in the fridge. Just dust with sugar and torch right before serving.

This recipe was kindly shared with us by the team at Pyrex. 

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Honey, nuts and cinnamon are such a comforting combination, especially when layered between sheets of filo pastry in this delicious Baklava treat. This recipe can be made in advance, and presents beautifully in a tin as a gorgeous handmade Mother’s Day gift. 

Ingredients:
Serves 15 (or one hungry mum!)

• 200g pistachios, plus extra chopped pistachios to garnish
• 200g walnuts
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 150g unsalted butter, melted
• 375g filo pastry
• HONEY SYRUP
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 lemons
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 12 cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Grease a Pyrex Simply Store 23.4cm x 18.8cm x 6.8cm (2.6L/11 cup capacity) glass baking dish with melted butter.
2. In a food processor, combine nuts, sugar and cinnamon and pulse to finely chop. 
3. Unwrap filo sheets and cut to fit dish snuggly. Cover with a damp tea towel.
4. Layer one-third of the filo pastry in dish, brushing butter between each layer. Scatter half the nut mixture evenly over. Top with half the remaining pastry, brushing butter between each layer. Scatter over remaining nuts, top with remaining filo, brushing butter between each layer. Cover with the lid and chill for 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut into 5cm diamonds, cutting through all the pastry layers.
5. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden. If the pastry is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
6. Meanwhile, for the honey syrup, peel zest from lemon and juice flesh. Combine sugar, water, honey, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves in a Pyrex Simply Store (460ml/2 cup capacity) glass container. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover loosely with the lid. Microwave for 3 minutes on high. Add the lemon juice, stir through and set aside to cool.
7. Remove and discard lemon zest, cinnamon quills and cloves from the syrup. Carefully and slowly pour syrup over baklava so it absorbs evenly. Set baklava aside at room temperature for 6 hours to cool completely (or overnight if possible). Scatter with extra pistachios if liked.

Tip: Baklava will keep in container at room temperature, covered with the lid for up to 3 days.

This recipe was kindly shared with us by the team at Pyrex. 

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This delicious salmon recipe is the combination of lots of healthy ingredients, as well as sensational flavours. This would be a fantastic meal for Mother’s Day lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 1 salmon fillet
• 2 zucchinis – trimmed and julienned
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• Small handful basil leaves
• 1 lemon – zested
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Place the salmon in the water, return the water to the boil then remove from the heat and pop the lid on.
3. Cook for the salmon for 8-10mins depending on size of the fillet.
4. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan on low heat.
5. Add the chopped toms and cook for 8-10 mins or until softened.
6. Remove the salmon from the water once cooked through and flakes into a bowl.
7. Add the zucchini noodles into the salmon water for 20-30 sec and remove and drain.
8. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, salmon, lemon zest, ripped basil.
9. Drizzle with olive oil and season.

This recipe was kindly created  and shared with us by Whirlpool Ambassador, My Kitchen Rules 2013 semi-finalist, health coach and family man Scott Gooding. 

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French Toast is one of my all-time breakfast favourites. This recipe gives it an updated twist with the addition of sweet ricotta cream and maple syrup. 

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 3  eggs
• ¼  cup  (60ml)  milk
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• teaspoon  vanilla  extract
• 15g  butter,  melted
• 4  thick  (Toast  size)  firm  white  sliced  bread, 
• one  day  old
• Cooking  Spray
• Maple  syrup  to  serve
• Seasonal  fruit  of  your  choice

Sweet Ricotta Cream

• 200g  fresh  ricotta
• 2  tablespoons  thickened  cream
• tablespoon  caster  sugar
• ½  teaspoon  vanilla  bean  paste

Method:
1. To  make  the  sweet  ricotta  cream,  place  ricotta,  cream,  sugar  and  vanilla  extract  into  a  bowl  and  beat  until  light  and  whipped.  Set  aside.
2. To  make  the  French  toast,  whisk  together  eggs,  milk,  sugar,  vanilla  and  melted  butter.  Pour  into  a  large  shallow  bowl  big  enough 
to  fit  the  bread  slices  in  easily.
3. Place  one  slice  of  bread  into  the  egg  mix  and  press  down  lightly.  Quickly,  turn  over  and  repeat.  Lift  out  of  the  egg  mixture 
and  drain  off  excess  egg  mixture  back  into  the  bowl.
4. Lightly  grease  the  inside  of  the  sandwich  rack  with  cooking  spray  and  place  soaked  bread  inside.  Bring  the  handles  together 
and  close  the  clip  to  keep  grids  together.
Insert  the  Sandwich  Rack  into  the  toaster  slot.  Toast  until  golden  and  set.
5. Once  French  toast  is  ready,  serve  warm  topped  with  a  dollop  of  ricotta  cream  and  a  good  drizzle  of  maple  syrup  and  fruit  of  your 
choice. Repeat  with  remaining  French  toast.

This recipe was kindly shared with us by the team at KitchenAid. 

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If you’re enjoying a decadent Mother’s Day lunch or dinner, why not complement it with this sweet and bubbly cocktail recipe. The Lime and Kiwi Sparkles is a fun and fizzy mix of kiwi, lime, simple syrup, vodka and sparkling water and is an easy cocktail recipe to celebrate mum this weekend. 

Ingredients:
Serves 4
• 1 kiwi, diced 
• 1 lime, juiced 
• 1 ½ shots simple syrup 
• 4 shots vodka 
• 1L sparkling water 

Method:

For the simple syrup:
1. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan until sugar has dissolved.

For the Cocktail:
1. Prepare the sparkling water: Carbonate 1 bottle of cold water.
2. Crush the kiwi and lime juice in a jug. Add in simple syrup and stir.
3. Serve a quarter of the fruit mix in each glass and add 1 shot of vodka.
4. Top up with ice cubes and sparkling. Garnish and serve over ice.
Tip: muddle the lime and kiwi together to better release the flavours – Enjoy!

This cocktail recipe was kindly shared with us by Sodastream. 

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