Category: In the Den Kitchen

In the Den Kitchen series. All our foodie posts live here.

In the Den Kitchen – YIAH Choc Chip biscuits

You can now find previous In the Den Kitchen posts here or on Pinterest. Clicking Recipes in the menu above will also take you to my In the Den Kitchen Pinterest board. I’m slowly reworking some older posts so they will show up there too.
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Today’s recipe is a yummy snack or a great addition to your kid’s lunchbox 😉

YIAH choc chip ciscuits

You can make this with any of the YIAH chocolate powders – this time I used Choc Orange and the dark mint chocolate. Chocolate raspberry would be yum, as would Salted Maple or Chilli-Chocolate.

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In the Den Kitchen

Something I’ve decided to do from now on is make more for Miss K for her day care lunch boxes. This week we tried a new sandwich filling and I converted a favourite muffin recipe so I can do it in the Thermomix.

The sandwich filling was found at Kidspot – chicken carrot & celery. I shredded the chicken and chopped the carrot & celery in the Thermomix, making it even quicker and we left our the yoghurt, only cause we didn’t have any. Miss K enjoyed it and has asked for it again. Score one me!

This week’s snack was Apple Bran Muffins

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In the Den Kitchen

I missed posting this last week because I ended up having an amazing girl’s night out with my mum, mother-in-law and sister-in-law and we went and saw Phantom of the Opera at the Princess Theatre. It was stunning! I love the original production and this was just as good. Launceston has some wonderful, talented performers.

Anywho, onto this weeks sides – cauliflower cheese done in the Thermomix (TM) and a warm potato salad.

Cauliflower Cheese

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So there you go, two fairly quick and simple sides. Delicious in the colder months too

Thermomix Lasagne

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a foodie post and one of the things on my list of 100 things for 2014 is learn a new recipe each month and blog about it. So this month it’s Thermomix Lasagne.

Thermomix Lasagne

150 g cheese (a mix of Tasty & Parmesan)
lasagna sheets (your choice of fresh or dried)

Meat sauce

  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
  • 30 g oil (olive oil or whatever oil you use)
  • 500 g minced meat
  • 400 g can chopped tomato
  • 30 g tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cube beef stock
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried Italian spices

Béchamel Sauce

  • 50 g Butter
  • 80 g flour
  • 600 g milk
  • 1.5 tsp salt

Grate cheeses 10 sec on speed 8. Set aside. Rinse bowl

Meat sauce

Chop carrots, onion & garlic cloves 5 sec on speed 5, scrape down sides and chop another 5 sec on speed 5.
Add oil & sauté 2 min, Varoma setting on speed 1.
Preheat oven to 200° C.
Add meat & cook 5 min, Varoma setting, reverse and speed soft (the one that looks like a spoon).
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, stock cube, sugar & oregano and cook 12 min, 100°, reverse, speed 1-2.
Pour into a bowl & rinse out Thermo bowl.

Béchamel Sauce

Melt butter for 2 min, 100 °, speed 1.
Add flour & cook for 1 min, 100 °, speed 1.
Add milk & salt, scrape flour mixture from bottom through milk & mix for 2 sec, speed 5 to combine. Cook for 8 min, 100 °, speed 2. Check if all flour combined by scraping again with spatula, then briefly mix again for 2 sec, speed 5.

Layering

Spread some béchamel sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, line with lasagne sheets, top with béchamel again, sprinkle some cheese and then start layering meat, lasagne sheets, béchamel, cheese until top of dish is reached. Generously sprinkle cheese on top layer.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Lasagne is done when a toothpick easily pierces through the layers and the cheese is nicely browned. Let rest before serving. Serve with garlic bread

From the Den Kitchen: Recipe Book – Project Life style

One of the things on my 101 Things list was to Create a custom recipe book. I’ve been procrastinating on this one for sooooo long because I’m never sure how I want to do it. Then I saw a post over at A Vegas Girl at Heart about her recipe book. She even shared a very cute freebie and that sparked an idea.

So I did some searching around and, after deciding I’d be using a 6×8 Sn@p binder, bought one through PaperTrenz along with some pocket pages. I also ended up buying a gorgeous digital kit – {love} my organized recipes for 12×12 pocket pages  from September Blue designs.

The plan is to use a combination of these two kits to create an album of our family favourite recipes. I’m even planning to take photos of each recipe after it’s finished to add to the album. Now the long part – typing up all our favourite recipes. I’ve started, slowly.

Must say I am a little disappointed with the pocket pages. Cut my cover 6×8 and there’s a gap, same with the 3×4 and 4×6 pockets. Hubby says it’s not a big deal but I’m being a bit OCD about it 😉

So here’s my inside cover page, conversion chart (which comes in the September Blue kit) and the first divider page.

and then the first of the recipe pages. Two blank spots – one for a photo of the food and the other, no idea at this stage – a filler card, a quote, not really sure as yet.

And cause I’m in a giving mood 😉 I’m going to share the recipe above

Cheese & Capsicum roll

2 small tins diced capsicum, drained
⅔ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup white vinegar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
500g Philly cheese

Put sugar, capsicum, vinegar & cayenne in a small pan, bring to boil.
Bubble gently for 1 hour until jam consistency. Watch like a hawk cause it burns easily!!
Shape cream cheese into 2 logs. Pour sauce over. Chill.
Serve with crackers like Clix or something similar

From the Den Kitchen

Hubby & I both love Chinese food. One of my Uncle’s is Chinese so we grew up on proper Chinese food not the westernised version. Sweet & Sour pork is a favourite with many people. There is debate if the addition of pineapple is traditional or not. Most Cantonese recipes I have don’t use pineapple but recipes in some books from the US/UK do. Can anyone answer this?

Anywho, since hubby is allergic to pineapple (which is tragic cause Miss K & I LOVE it) we cook it without.

 

This recipe is a bit of a mish-mash of recipes but we love it and I thought I’d share it with you all. Ingredients are for 2 adults & a 3yo with leftovers.

For your pork:

  • 2 pork medallions, cut into chunks
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour

Whisk your egg whites and cornflour in a bowl til fluffy. Add pork. Stir til pork is well coated. Deep fry in hot oil until lightly brown and crispy. Drain. Try not to eat the pork while you cook the sauce.

For the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion, cut into quarters
  • 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 green capsicum, cut into thin slices
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons cornflour

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry carrot and onion for a minute and drain.
Mix tomato sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, water and cornflour well.
Heat remaining oil, fry garlic.
Stir in the liquid mixture and simmer until thickened.
Add pork and vegetables, mix well.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Enjoy!!

From the Den Kitchen

This week I’ve been doing lots of baking and trying out new to us recipes.

I was given a German Friendship cake starter from mum. Hmmm delish

If you don’t know anyone who has a ‘plant’ going you can always create your own starter and then get ready to create a list of friends who bake 😉 On the upside this cake freezes really well so you can just make and freeze your cake. I’m keeping mine going and plan to try different variations each time I make it. So far we’ve had plain, next time I’m thinking of adding raspberries.

We gave Peppermint slice a go and I made the Mars Bar surprise slice from the $21 Challenge book (I love this recipe). Then we made Choc Mint swirl biscuits.

The recipe was on Facebook so I have no idea where it comes from originally

One of our favourite meals this week was French Onion Chicken Drumsticks. The recipe is for the slow cooker but can be done successfully in the oven. Put in a lidded casserole dish in a 160C oven for 2 hours. Onto the recipe…

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 pkt (40g) French onion soup mix
  • 8 chicken drumsticks

Lightly brown drumsticks in a frypan with half the oil. Place the drumsticks in the slow cooker.
Add remaining oil to frypan, fry onion until transparent.
Remove from heat and add soy sauce, soup mix, tomatoes and water. Stir to combine.
Pour the sauce over the drumsticks until coated. Cook on low for 8 hours.
We served ours with some steamed rice and vegies.

From the Den Kitchen

Another week, another new meal for you to try. This week we’re going with Pork medallions. A little more expensive but very delicious.

Pork with honey & mustard glaze
40g butter
4 (120g each) pork loin medallions
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

Melt half the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook pork for 2 to 3 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Add honey, mustard and remaining butter to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. (I chucked in the carrots I steamed at this point). Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with vegies (we had mashed potato, corn and steamed carrot). Spoon a small amount of glaze over pork.

From the Den Kitchen

Hello again. It’s Friday and time for some more from the Den kitchen. After lots of baked goods over the last couple of weeks I thought I’d share a couple of meals we’re enjoying over the next few weeks. Today is a recipe from on of hubby’s mate’s mum. It is delish!

Mrs R’s Meatloaf
500g Sausage Mince
1 onion
1 carrot
1 apple
2 Eggs
Tandaco Stuffing Mix
1 tin Tomato Soup

Preheat your oven to medium heat (about 190°C). Grease a casserole dish (one that has a lid).
Chuck your onion, peeled carrot and cored apple (you can peel it if you like) into your food processor and pulse til finely chopped. No processor, no worries – just grate them.

In a bowl, mix sausage mince, onion, carrot, apple and eggs. Add enough of the stuffing mix to make it into a firm consistency. Put in the casserole dish (Ignore the fact I have mine in a loaf tin in the photo above – didn’t fully read the recipe). Cook for about 30 minutes until a crust forms.

Remove casserole from the oven. Combine soup and a small amount of water (enough to rinse the tin). Pour over the meatloaf. Put a lid on the casserole and return to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Serve with vegies or chips or salad. Totally up to you.

Enjoy!