Date Loaf

Date Loaf

Place in a bowl:-

4 crushed weet bix
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon bi carb soda
3 tablespoons melted butter or marg
1 cup chopped dates or prunes
(Walnuts can be added if desired)

Pour over this mix 1 cup of boiling water and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Then add 1 – 2 beaten eggs. Mix well then add 1 cup of SR flour and mix well.

Bake in a loaf tin in a moderate oven for 40 – 50 minutes.
Great served with butter or lemon icing or just on it’s own.

Surprise

... cause I am still deciding

its called "'LING" or "the dish"
for two people-

• half a packet of thin spaghetti- the one thinner than what u would you use for spag bol
• half a bunch of garlic
• 12 birds eyes chillis
• pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 150grams thinely sliced proscuitto
• 1/3 blocked shaved parmesean cheese
• 2 large handfuls of rocket
• optional extras- sprinkles of roasted pine nuts, adding flat leaf parsley and sprion onions and coriander to oil mix
  ....
  so you finely dice garlic and chillis, then soften in oil with pepper
  seperate meat by tearing into two piles, shave parmeasean.... cook pasta, seperate rocket into two bowls
  
  ...
  on top of rocket place pasta... then fork out the soften chillis and garlic, then add the meat and cheese then pour the hot oil over the lot.... add roasted pinenuts to the top...
  o yarm, now i have to have it NOW NOW NOW

Chili con Carne

CHILLI CON CARNE

• 1 tblspn oil
• 1.5kg lean chuck steak, cut into 2cm cubes (I just get the diced steak already done)
• 1.5 tspn chilli powder
• 2 tspns minced garlic (from a jar, is what I use)
• 1.5 cups/375ml beef stock
• 2 tblspns tomato paste
• .5 cup/180 ml red wine
• 400g can Mexican chilli beans

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Cook the meat in batches over a medium-high heat until well browned on all sides and drain on paper towels.
2. Place meat and everything else (don't drain the beans) in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
3. When its ready, whack it in some bowls, top it with a dollop of sour cream and serve with potato wedges or corn chips.
   
   IT'S TO DIE FOR!!!

sent by Dearne, NSW

Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Chocolate Chip Biscuits

• 125g butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ¾ cup SR Flour
• 1 packet dark choc chips
  
  

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Beat in egg.
3. Add flour and mix well and then add in choc bits.
4. Roll into balls and then flatten on greased trays. Makes around 30 (unless you accidentally consume part of the dough as I often do).
5. Cook at 150 C until golden.
6. Try using M&M’s (plain or peanut) as an alternative, or even sultanas (did I just mention fruit????? Chocolate all the way or you’re insane!).
7. You can even add some cocoa powder to the dough to make them extra chocolatey if you wish!

Sent by Mel , they sound Devilishly Wicked ... Apple Isle !

Chocolate Caramel Squares

Chocolate Caramel Squares

Ingredients

Base

• 5 oz Butter
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• 60g ground rice
  
  Filling
  
• 3 oz butter
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 150m condensed milk
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
  
  Topping
  
• 125g plain chocolate
• 3 tbsp milk
  
  Method
  
  Base
  

1. Preheat oven to 180º
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add the flour and rice and stir until the mixture binds together.
3. Kneed until smooth.Roll out into a square and press evenly into a shallow 20cm square tin, prick well.
4. Bake for 25 minutes and then cool in the tin
   
   Filling
   
5. Place the filling ingredients in a pan and heat gently, stirring until dissolved
   
6. Bring slowly to the boil then cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until golden
   
7. Spread over the biscuit mixture and leave to set
   
   Topping
   
8. Please the chocolate and the milk in a small pan and heat gently until melted. Spread over the biscuits and leave to set
   
9. Cut into squares to serve

I am linking this post back to Help Mum's Biggest Morning tea ..supporting a great cause.

Spinach pasta

Spinach Pasta

Pasta of your choice

• 1 packet of frozen spinach
• 200 grams of diced bacon
• small bottle of cream
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• small onion
• 1 tblspoon olive oil

1. Dice onion & garlic. Fry in olive oil in frying pan.
2. Add bacon. Fry a little.
3. Add spinach. Mix thoroughly with other ingredients. Fry until spinach is almost cooked.
4. Turn heat down low & add cream. Heat thru until garlic flavour fills cream.
5. Add grated cheese until mixture is thickened & cheese has melted through.
6. Add to cooked pasta or spoon on top.
7. Sprinkle with grated cheese or parmesan cheese. Can add salt to taste.

sent by Zoe , Q

Sweedish Glogg

Swedish Glögg
Makes about 1 gallon

1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive dry red wine1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive American port1 bottle of inexpensive brandy or aquavit10 inches of stick cinnamon1 Tablespoon cardamom seeds2 dozen whole clovesPeel of one orange1/2 cup raisins1 cup blanched almonds2 cups sugarGarnish with the peel of another orange
NotesThere is no need to invest in expensive wine or brandy because the spices are going to preempt any innate complexity of a fine wine, but don't use anything too cheap. Remember, the sum will be no better than the parts. Do not use an aluminum or copper pot since these metals interact chemically with the wine and brandy and impart a metallic taste. Use stainless steel or porcelain.
Cardamom comes in three forms: pods, seeds, and powder. Do not use powder. If you can only find the pods (the look like orange seeds), take about 2 dozen and pop them open to extract the seeds. Cardamom seeds may be hard to find, so you may need to order them from a spice specialist like Penzeys.com.
AssemblyPour the red wine and port into a covered stainless steel or porcelain kettle. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange peel, raisins, and almonds. Warm gently, but do not boil. Boiling will burn off the alcohol.
Put the sugar in a pan and soak it with half the bottle of brandy. Warm the sugar and brandy slurry over a low flame. The sugar will melt and bubble until it becomes a clear golden syrup of caramelized sugar. If you wish, you can speed up the process a bit and create quite a show by flaming the brandy. Flaming will create a 2 foot high blue flame, so be sure there is nothing above the stove that can catch on fire. Then, stand back and light the brandy. Turn out the kitchen lights and watch it burn! This caramelization is crucial to developing complexity.
Add the caramelized sugar to the spiced wine mix. Cover and let it mull for an hour. Just before serving, strain to remove the spices, and add brandy to taste (about 1/2 pint). You can serve it immediately, or let it age for a month or two. If you are going to age it, make sure the bottle is filled as high as possible and sealed tight.
To serve glögg, warm it gently over a low flame or in a crockpot, and serve it in a mug. Garnish it with a fresh orange peel, twisted over the mug to release the oils.
You can easily tailor the recipe to your own tastes by changing the sweetness, potency, or other ingredients. Try brown sugar if you wish. Or Southern Comfort instead of brandy. The orange peel garnish, however, is essential to the fragrance. Drink while seated and give your car keys to a friend.