PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE WITH MUSHROOMS

I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I like comfort food. Why wouldn’t you? But I know that most comfort foods aren’t always the healthiest things to eat with all the carbs, cream and cheese they mostly contain. As this whole low-carb thing has taken over the world, I was thinking the other day if there are really any low-carb, vegetarian options out there? That’s when I remembered my old favourite, Parmigiana di Melanzane.

I’m not usually the biggest aubergine fan but I do like it layered with rich tomato sauce topped with lots of cheese and so decided to zshoosh it up a little by adding a lot of herbs and mushrooms to the tomato sauce. The end result was the most delicious, comforting bake which was the perfect light comfort food. Something I need more and more now that we’re moving swiftly into Autumn. If you’re not eating low-carb, you could serve this with some good crusty bread but I served it with a green salad dressed in a zesty lemon vinaigrette and it was just delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 large aubergine sliced into 1cm slices
• 150 g mozzarella
• 100 g Parmesan/Pecorino grated

for the sauce

• 1 red onion finely choppes
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 250 g mushrooms sliced (I used portobellini/chestnut)
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes / 500g cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and grill in a hot griddle pan for 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
3. To make the sauce, sauté the onion in a saucepan in a splash of oil until soft and translucent.
4. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are golden brown.
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full recipe : simply-delicious-food.com

HOW TO MAKE SALTED EGGS

Learn how to make salted eggs, using only brine solution. Salted egg is a popular delicacy both in the Philippines and China that is widely used for various dishes.

   

The traditional way of making salted eggs is by burying them in a salty clay mud. But that is a bit too much for me, so I would rather stick to the brine method. Yes, that is all that is needed to make salted eggs: salt, water and fresh eggs. The Chinese way of making salted eggs also adds some star anise, peppercorns and Shaoxing wine, which I would probably try just because I am curious. I have to find this Shaoxing wine first though but I think this is optional. 

Ingredients

• 10-12 eggs (fresh) - make sure they have no cracks
• 1 cup salt
• 4-5 cups water

Instructions

1. In a pot, bring the water with the salt to a boil. Once the salt completely dissolves, turn off the heat. Let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, place the fresh eggs in a big glass jar. Pour the brine solution into the jar making sure that all eggs are fully submerged.
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full recipe : www.foxyfolksy.com

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

This recipe for slow cooker chicken enchilada casserole is a one pot meal (yay!). To make this recipe, I cook the chicken with a big can of red enchilada sauce, all day in my slow cooker. Then when I get home, I shred the chicken, stir in corn tortillas strips, add some cheese and olives, stir, add a little more cheese and olives on top, cook for one more hour, and wow! Easy enchiladas and I don’t have the huge mess all over my kitchen from frying tortillas, and rolling the enchiladas.

I serve this chicken enchilada casserole with sour cream on top, refried beans and spanish rice. If you don’t have a great recipe for Spanish rice, check this tutorial for Spanish rice from Lil’ Luna, it’s the recipe I use and it’s amazing.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless raw chicken breasts
• 1 28 ounce can Red Enchilada Sauce (I use El Pato Brand)

Add these ingredients at the end

• 10 corn tortillas (I used an entire 11.7 ounce bag)
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese (divided)
• 1 3.8 ounce can black olives (divided)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the chicken breasts and the enchilada sauce in your slow cooker.
2. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
3. Shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
4. Cut the tortillas in to strips, add to chicken and sauce.
5. Stir.
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full recipe : www.themagicalslowcooker.com

RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Just like my Snickers Chocolate Brownies, these are made with a base of butter and dark chocolate. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and a little cocoa powder and you have the perfect brownie base.

But what makes these Raspberry Chocolate Brownies extra special is a handful of milk chocolate chips and a punnet of fresh raspberries.

INGREDIENTS

• 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter
• 200 grams (1 and 1/3 cup) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 70 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour
• 20 grams (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
• 125 grams (1 cup) fresh raspberries
• 75 grams (1/2 cup) milk chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (360 F). Grease and line an 8 inch square tin with paper baking, ensuring two sides of the paper overhang.
2. Add butter and chocolate to a heatproof bowl and microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Leave to cool slightly.
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full recipe : www.sweetestmenu.com

JAMMY DODGER WHITE CHOCOLATE BLONDIES

On a weekly basis, I reckon I get through around four packs of Jammy Dodgers, at least.  To me, dipped in a hot cup of tea, the Jammy Dodger is king of the biscuits.  All hail the mighty Dodger, bow down to its supreme jammyness!  We’ll not discuss those disgraceful pretenders to the throne though…. I’m looking at you, banana and toffee horrors!  During my last tea and biscuit break I was sat, Dodger in hand, staring wistfully into space when my gaze landed upon a pile of white chocolate blondies.  I should mention at this point that I was at work, I don’t just have piles of baked goods surrounding me at home.  Honest!  When it struck me, Jammy Dodger white chocolate blondies!  What’s not to love?!  A creamy white chocolate blondie, swirled with sticky strawberry jam and topped with my very favorite biscuit.  Get in!

I seriously can’t even begin to get over how cute they turned out.  I must have shown the steaming tray to everyone who came into the shop that afternoon, eardrums may have been pierced from my high pitched squeal of ‘aren’t they just so goddamn canny?!’  Imagine them on a mad hatters style tea party, I don’t think I could bare the cuteness.

INGREDIENTS

• 175g unsalted butter
• 250g white chocolate, chopped
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 300g plain flour
• 3tbsp strawberry jam
• 11 Jammy Dodger biscuits

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 175C.  Grease and line a 9×13″ baking tray or use a disposable one.
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full recipe : www.iheartkatiecakes.co.uk

CHICKEN KATSU CURRY (WITH AN EASY CURRY SAUCE)

When I was a little girl, one of my favourite books was about two children who discovered a magical tree that led to different strange lands (it was called ‘The Faraway Tree’ if anyone is interested!). One of the chapters that I read time and time again was the one about ‘the Land of Eat-what-you-want’! You entered the land armed with cutlery so that you could scoop jelly out of flowers and eat ice cream of absolutely any flavour you could dream up. That’s the sort of cool place it was.

I have no idea how many ingredients were in the curry sauce I ate at the show, but I really wanted to keep mine as fuss-free as possible. So all I put in it was garlic, onion, ginger, curry powder mixed with flour, a bit of soy sauce and chicken stock and a smidge of honey. After letting the sauce simmer and reduce for a bit, you then blend it to make it smooth.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1/4 cup flour seasoned with plenty of salt & pepper
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 ounces Japanese panko breadcrumbs*
• 4 large -ish skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 2-3 tablespoons oil for frying

For the curry sauce

• 1 onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves chopped finely or crushed
• a thumb-width size piece of ginger peeled & chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon plain flour mixed with 1 tablespoon mild or medium curry powder
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar if you don’t have honey

To serve

• boiled rice
• crispy lettuce leaves optional

Instructions

1. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Roll each chicken thigh first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate while you start making the curry sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F. Then add a splash of oil to a medium saucepan and cook the onion, garlic & ginger for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the flour and curry powder to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes or so while stirring continuously.
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full recipe : scrummylane.com

COOKIES AND CREAM LAYER CAKE

The reason behind my newly zombified state is black, tan and white with the cutest ears ever. I have slept so very little and walked so much more since adopting Brutus, our Jura hound pup, last week. I have become acquainted with 5am (they have those in the morning too?) wake up calls and walking in the rain before I have even had my first cup of coffee.

Well the cake was delicious – the kids declared it THE BEST EVER but they are prone to hyperbole when there’s chocolate involved. The cake assembly was a bit of a mess however… I have to admit that. Tiredness and precision do not mix and I kind of butchered the poor sponge when cutting it in three pieces.

INGREDIENTS

• For the cake
• 165 g | 5.8oz plain all purpose flour
• 165 g | 5.8oz light brown sugar can also use caster
• 5 Oreo cookies ground to a powder
• 1 level tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100 g | 3.5oz cold unsalted butter cubed
• 2 large eggs
• 100 ml | 3.5 fl oz whole milk
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 60 g | 2oz dark chocolate chips
• a little butter and flour to grease the cake tins
• Filling
• 200 g | 7oz good quality white chocolate very finely chopped
• 150 g | 5.3oz double cream
• an extra cold 200g | 7oz double cream
• Chocolate glaze & to decorate
• 100 g | 3.5oz dark chocolate very finely chopped
• 100 g | 3.5oz double cream
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• handful Oreo cookies halved

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180C | 350F. Grease 3x15cm (6in) cake tins and line the bottoms with baking paper. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. You can also use one deep tin (preferably springform) instead of 3 shallow ones - increase the baking time to about 45–50 minutes.
2. Add the flour, sugar, crushed Oreos, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to mix the ingredients together, then add the cubed butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and pulse again until mixed in. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to make sure everything is well blended.
4. Mix the vanilla and milk and then gradually add to the batter, pulsing until it is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
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full recipe : www.supergoldenbakes.com