Recipe 70: Leek & Bacon Feuillettes

Recipe 70: Leek & Bacon Feuillettes

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, finely chopped

8 rashers of rindless, bacon, finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine
4 tbsp double cream
2 sheets of puff pastry

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft. Add the bacon and cook for a further 3 minutes until the bacon is cooked but not crispy.
2. Add the white wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any bits off the base of the pan and stir well. Cook for 1 minute until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, then add the cream and cook, stirring for a further 1 minute until bubbling. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. On a lightly floured surface, cut out 24 circles from the 2 sheets of pastry, using a pastry cutter. Gently press the pastry circles into the bases of mini-muffin tins.
4. Put 1 tsp of the leek and bacon mixture in each and press down a little so it does not fall out during cooking when the pastry puffs up.
5. Bake the feuillettes for 12 minutes until puffed and lightly golden, then serve.

Recipe 69: Ham & Mushroom Calzones

Another Friday night dish I cooked up for my mate. I personally didn't like them, but three others did. The verdict is up to you.

Recipe 69: Ham & Mushroom Calzones

15g butter
150g chopped button mushrooms
80g ham, finely sliced
1/2 recipe of pizza dough (recipe 68)
80g mozzarella cheese, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until melted. Add the mushrooms and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until beginning to brown. 
2. Stir in the ham and remove pan from heat.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough out into approximately 36cm square and cut out 16 circles using a pastry cutter.
4. Add the mozzarella  to the cooled muchroom mixture and mix well. On each dough circle put a bit of tomato paste slightly off centre and then put 2 tsp of the mozzarella/mushroom mixture and fold in half, pressing the edges together to seal. Put the calzones on a baking sheet.
5. Brush the calsones with the oil and bake for 12 minutes until golden. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then serve.

Recipe 67: Potato Crisps

When I looked at this recipe on Thursday night I thought " this is So So easy, yet, we still go down the supermarket aisle and pay $4.00 for a bag of crisps?! Why?".
My question was answered after trying this recipe last night. Even though the recipe is easy... the oil burns are also so SO easy to get! Today I am recovering from 4 of them, two on my hand, one on my neck and one on my forehead- all due to splash back when I put the potatoes in. 
Thus, I give this recipe out with a warning. For inexperienced people (like myself), PLEASE be careful!

Recipe 67: Potato Crisps

2 large potatoes
oil, for deep frying
seasalt (for flavour)

METHOD

1. Thinly slice potatoes using a mandolin (you want them paper thin- otherwise they just taste like potato chips you get from the takeaway store).
2. Heat the oil, test to check temperature by placing one little chip into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks then you are ready to go.
3. Deep fry the chips in batches to stop them from sticking to each other. They are done when golden and crisp.
4. Remove them from pan using a slotted spoon. Drain on absorbent paper and then season with salt.

Recipe 53: Corn Fritters

These fritters definitely have a pikelet type of quality when they are finished cooking. Love them with a bit of vinegar and salt. The husband prefers them with sweet chilli sauce.

Recipe 53: Sweetcorn Fritters

3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 egg
1 can of creamed corn (approximately 440g)
Oil (for frying)

Method 

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and papper to taste into a bowl.
2. Add egg, mixing to combine. 
3. Stir in sweetcorn.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan, drop tablespoonsful of corn mixture into pan. When bubbles start forming on the top (much like pikelets), the fritter is ready to turn over.
5. Place cooked fritters on paper towels to drain off excess oil.
6. Serve hot. This recipe generally makes between 10-15 fritters, depending on the size.

Recipe 5: Stopping the hunger pangs - light snack

Driving home today from a Doctors appointment with the little one, a sudden pang of hunger coarsed through my body and the yellow arches of my nemesis shone brightly luring me to have a snack of fatty chips or a cheeseburger. If I hadn't put my wallet in the boot of the car then I may have caved, but I made it home for a quick bite- which turns out, was all I needed!

Tomato & Mozzarella Cruskits

50g grated Mozzarella

1  fresh Tomato

2 Arnotts Cruskits

fresh Basil

1/2 tsp of crushed Garlic 

METHOD

1. Sprinkle a 1/4 tsp of Crushed Garlic on the Cruskits.
2. Add 25g of grated Mozzarella (which is about a small handful) on each Cruskit.
3. Chop up the Tomato and place on the Cruskit
4. Top with Fresh Basil and a touch of salt and pepper