Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas with Lentils

Ingredients - makes 3
Oil
250g mushrooms
1 can lentils, drained and washed
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp parsley flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
75g fresh baby spinach leaves
6 tortillas
salsa
Parmesan cheese, grated
Fetta, crumbled
 
Directions
1) Heat oil in a pan
2) Add mushrooms, lentils, cumin, chilli flakes, parsley flakes and salt & pepper and cook through (approx 10 minutes) then remove from heat
3) While mushroom mix is cooking, planch spinach with boiling water
4) Lay out 3 tortillas and spread salsa over them leaving about 1cm around the edge
5) Place a layer of spinach, then cover with the mushroom mix. Top with parmesan and fetta
6) Put another tortilla over the top
7) Heat frying pan and spray with a cooking spray (low heat)
8) Place 1 prepared quesadilla in the pan for a few minutes, then turn and cook the other side
9) Serve hot
10) Eat & Enjoy!

Lemon & Broccoli Risotto

Ingredients
1 lemon
1.625L (6 1/2 cups) vegetable stock
450g broccoli, cut into small florets, stems cut crossways into thin slices (keep the florets & the stems separate)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
20g (1 tbs) butter
8 green shallots, trimmed, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
440g (2 cups) arborio rice
60ml (1/4 cup) dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
2 tsp butter, extra
35g (1/3 cup) finely grated parmesan
 
Directions
1) Use a zester or grater to remove outer layer from lemon. Set aside until required.
2) Juice the lemon and reserve 2 tbs.
3) Place stock in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat.
4) Reduce heat to medium-low.
5) Stir in broccoli stems, season with salt and pepper, keep at a gentle simmer.
6) Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until foaming.
7) Add the green shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
8) Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
9) Add the rice and stir over medium heat for 1 minute or until well coated with oil and butter, and the grains are slightly glassy in appearance.
10) Add wine and use a wooden spoon to stir until all liquid is absorbed.
11) Add a ladleful of simmering stock and stir until absorbed.
12) Continue to add stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until all the liquid is absorbed before adding more.
13) Add broccoli florets with second-last ladleful of stock. Stir until all liquid is absorbed and the broccoli is tender - it will take about 30 minutes to cook until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy.
14) Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, extra butter and parmesan.
15) Season with salt and pepper.
16) Spoon into serving bowls and serve immediately sprinkled extra parmesan if desired.
17) Eat & Enjoy!

Caramel Muffins

Ingredients
100g caramel-filled chocolate block
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
80g butter, melted
 
Directions
1) Place chocolate in freezer for 1 hour or until frozen.
2) Preheat oven to 180°C.
3) Grease a non-stick, 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan.
4) Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
5) Add sugar and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre.
6) Combine milk, egg and butter in a jug and pour into well.
7) Using a large metal spoon, stir until just combined.
8) Chop frozen chocolate and fold into batter.
9) Three-quarters fill muffins holes with batter.
10) Bake muffins for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
11) Allow muffins to cool in pan for 1 minute. Carefully transfer to plates.
12) Eat & Enjoy!

Chocolate Risotto

Ingredients
1.25L (5 cups) milk
40g butter, chopped
220g (1 cup) arborio rice
100g dark chocolate (Plaistowe brand), finely chopped
60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
 
Directions
1) Bring the milk just to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2) Reduce heat to low and hold at a gentle simmer.
3) Heat the butter in a medium heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until foaming.
4) Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the grains appear slightly glassy.
4) Reduce heat to medium-low and add a ladleful (about 125ml/ 1/2 cup)of the simmering milk to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is absorbed.
5) Continue to add the milk, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. The rice will take about 40 minutes to cook.
6) Once the last ladleful of milk is just absorbed, add the chocolate and sugar, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is well combined.
7) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTE: Served immediately this is soft & risotto-like in texture. However to serve later you can reheat in the oven. It tastes the same, however the texture becomes more like a thick rice pudding.

Quick & Easy Vegetarian Spag Bog

Ingredients
Pasta - whatever you have in the cupboard
Jar of pasta sauce - whatever you have in the cupboard (I used Raguletto Sicilian Mushroom)
Tin of Sanitarium Vegetarian Casserole Mince
Herbs & spices to blend with your pasta sauce (I used basil, parsley, salt & pepper)
 
Directions
1) Cook pasta
2) While pasta is cooking mix your pasta sauce and casserole mince
3) Add herbs & spices
4) Heat sauce mixture
5) Serve up & top with cheese to taste
6) Eat & Enjoy!

This took me 15 minutes and truly tasted like a good quality spaghetti bolognaise. The trick is to add herbs to the pasta sauce so you get the taste you enjoy.

Tiramisu

Ingredients
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
¾ cup castor sugar
125ml Frangelico liqueur
6 eggs, separated
500g mascarpone
425g savioardi biscuits
150g good quality dark chocolate, grated

Directions
1) Place hot coffee in a bowl, add 2 Tbspn caster sugar, and stir till sugar dissolves
2) Add Frangelico, then allow to cool
3) Using an electric mixer, whisk remaining sugar and egg yolks until very thick and pale
4) Add mascarpone and whisk until smooth like softly whipped cream
5) In another bowl whisk eggwhites until stiff peaks form
6) Fold 1/3 of egg whites into mascarpone mixture to loosen, then gently fold in remaining eggwhites till just combined
7) Dip savoiardi biscuits into coffee mixture, one at a time, turning once, allowing biscuits to soak up coffee mixture without becoming soggy
8) Place half the soaked biscuits over the base of a 22x26cm ceramic/glass dish
9) Cover with half the mascarpone mixture
10) Sprinkle with half the chocolate
11) Repeat with remaining biscuits, mascarpone mixture and chocolate
12) Refrigerate overnight
13) Eat & Enjoy!

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients
Pastry
1.5 cups plain flour
¼ tsp salt
125 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunks
¼ cup iced water
NOTE: You can pre-prepare this and freeze it

The Filling
30g butter
1 cup cream
3 eggs
salt
 
Directions
Pastry - first part should be prepared the day before
1) Using a food processor whiz the flour and salt together
2) Add butter and whiz again until mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs
3) With the machine running pour in the iced water until the mixture forms a ball around the blade
4) Remove the pastry and reshape into a ball. Flatten slightly, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (overnight if possible)
5) Preheat oven to 200°C
6) With a little flour over the work surface, roll out pastry and line a 20/22cms deep tart dish or loose bottomed flan tin with the pastry
7) Return dish to fridge for a further 20-30 minutes - this prevents shrinkage
8) Take pastry dish from fridge and prick base generously with a fork
9) Blind bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is cooked
10) Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before adding filling

Filling
1) Increase heat on oven to 220°
2) Beat the eggs with the salt
3) Beat in the cream
4) Cut the butter into small pieces and lay over the pastry in the flan tin
5) Pour in the filling and cook for 20 minutes or until custard is set
6) Allow to cool a little
7) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTE: Baking blind - cover pastry with a piece of foil or baking paper and weigh down with a good layer of pie weights or dry rice