Couscous Salad

I think this is my favourite salad ever.

So quick.

So easy.

So YUM!!

Serves 2 - 4

Get This -

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 Lebanese cucumber, seeds removed, diced
• 1/4 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons semi sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons sliced black olives
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 4 anchovies chopped finely
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• fresh parsley

Do This -

1. Place the couscous in a large bowl. Place the stock in a saucepan, bring to just boiling point, then pour over the couscous. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Fluff couscous with a fork and season with salt and pepper. When couscous is cold, stir in the cucumber, onion, tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the olive oil and lemon juice, add to the couscous and stir until well combined. Top with chopped parsley.
   
   

White Chocolate and Macadamia Rocky Road

Perfect for Christmas gifts or to take to Christmas parties.

It tastes divine!

makes 24
Get This - 
250g packet marshmallows, halved100g packet dried cranberries110g packet macadamia nuts, roughly chopped60g pistachios (optional)1/3 cup (35g) desiccated coconut2 x 180g blocks good-quality white chocolate, chopped

Do This - 

• Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.

• Combine marshmallows, cranberries, nuts and coconut in a bowl. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds, or until smooth.

• Pour chocolate over marshmallow mixture. Mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, pressing down with a spatula. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Using a warm knife, cut into squares. Serve.

I used less craisins (which I hope are the same as dried cranberries because that's all I could find) and added some chopped lolly snakes for extra chew and colour.


From Taste.com.au and tweaked to my own liking

Linking this post to -

Mummy's Undeserved Blessings

Double Choc Chip Biscuits

Another one for the lunchboxes.

makes 22

Get This -

125g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup white or milk choc bits
1/2 cup dark choc bits

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Add egg and mix until well combined. Sift flour and baking powder over butter mixture. Add milk and stir until just combined.
3. Add white and dark choc bits. Using hands, knead dough to evenly distribute the choc bits.
4. Using 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture at a time, roll mixture into balls. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper. Using the heel of your hand, flatten biscuits slightly (allow room for spreading).
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, swapping trays over in oven after 10 minutes, or until light golden. Allow biscuits to cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

From Taste.com.au

Recipe of the Week

Is anyone else tired of thinking, 'What will I cook for dinner tonight?'?

I know I am.
So let's see if this helps.
I'm putting up my Recipe of the Week every Monday.
If you'd like to link up your recipe of the week, we might all be able to plan our weekly meals without having to do any thinking of our own!

Will it work?
Time will tell....

The rules are easy. Your recipe must be...

a) quick
b) easy
c) healthy (well, relatively)

Here's my recipe for this week. I love this after a weekend of eating too much!
It's light yet filling. And great on a hot night.

Chicken BLT Salad - click on the link and it will take you there just like magic!



Add your

to the linky below.

Anzac Biscuits

Grandma made some of these on the weekend and the kids loved them so much we had to make our own!

Makes about 24

Get This -

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle
150g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda


Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.
3. In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has fully melted.
4. Mix the bicarb soda with 1 1/2 tablespoons water and add to the golden syrup mixture. It will bubble whilst you are stirring together so remove from the heat.
5. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined.
6. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking trays lined with non stick baking paper, pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly.
7. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

from Taste.com.au

Caramel Treats

My kids were pretty happy with me when I made these on the weekend!
And they're loving them in their lunch boxes.

makes about 24

Get This -

1/4 cup butter
125g soft caramels
300g white marshmallows
6 cups rice bubbles

Do This -

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
2. Add the caramels and marshmallows. Stir until completely melted. Remove form heat. Add rice bubbles and combine unl rice bubbles are well coated.
3. Using a wet spatula or waxed paper, press the mixture evenly inot a 32 x 22 x 5cm pan coated with cooking oil spray. Cut into 5cm squares when cool.

Recipe of the Week

Is anyone else tired of thinking, 'What will I cook for dinner tonight?'?

I know I am.
So let's see if this helps.
I'm going to put up my Recipe of the Week every Monday.
If you'd like to link up your recipe of the week, we might all be able to plan our weekly meals without having to do any thinking of our own!

Will it work?
Time will tell....

The rules are easy. Your recipe must be...

a) easy
b) quick
c) healthy (well, relatively)

Here's my recipe for this week. It's what I'm cooking tonight and it's my 'go to' recipe when I really don't feel like cooking (okay, so that's pretty much every night, but we only have it once a week...promise!)

Spaghetti Bolognese - click on the link and it will take you there just like magic!

Mmmm, my mouth is watering already!
Now I can't wait for dinner.

Add your

to the linky below. 

Potato Bake

Hubba wanted to cook a roast on his new Weber barbecue tonight so I thought a potato bake would be the perfect accompaniment. The only problem...I've never cooked a potato bake before! So I put the call out on Facebook and Twitter and six lovely ladies came to my rescue with six different recipes! I particularly liked this recipe from Sass. But I ended up putting the ideas together to make my own version. It had to be very plain because I was attempting to entice my 8yo Mr Fussy into trying something new. This is what I came up with...

The bad news is Mr Fussy wouldn't even try it.
The good news is Hubba loved it! And so did I!!

Serves 4

Get This -

6 potatoes
300mL cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon plain flour
salt
cheese

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 180degC.
2. Peel and slice the potatoes.
3. Place in the bottom of an oven proof dish and sprinkle generously with salt.
4. Whisk together the cream, milk and flour.
5. Pour over the potatoes.
6. Cover with alfoil and bake for 40 minutes.
7. Remove the alfoil, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake uncovered on 200degC for a further 20 minutes.

Caramel Popcorn

Last week we went to a country show and my boy tried caramel popcorn for the first time. He LOVED it. When I told him I thought I could make it his eyes lit up like the fireworks we watched that night! So tonight, I found this recipe on Taste.com.au and made some. It is soooo good! We've packed some to take to the movies tomorrow.

Makes 14 cups

Get This -

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup popping corn

Caramel

125g butter, chopped

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons honey

Do This -

1. Line a tray with baking paper. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of popping corn. If corn slowly turns around in a circle then oil is hot enough.
2. Add remaining popping corn. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. When corn starts popping, shake saucepan gently. Remove from heat when corn stops popping. Transfer to a large bowl, discarding any unpopped corn.
3. Make caramel: Combine butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Bring mixture to the boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes or until light golden.
4. Remove from heat. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and stir until popcorn is coated. Spread over prepared tray. Set aside to cool. Break into pieces. Serve.

Pikelets

Pikelets are great for a Sunday breakfast, or morning tea when someone drops in.
Some people like them with sugar sprinkled on top. *gag*
My kids like them with honey or syrup.
I quite like them with jam & cream.
But being a savoury person, my favourite topping is butter and grated Romano cheese!

makes 25

If you can remember "1", you will always remember this recipe!

Get This -

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

1 tbs caster sugar

1 cup (250ml) milk

1 egg

1 pinch of salt

Melted butter, to brush, plus extra knobs to serve

Do This -

1. Sift flour and sugar together into a bowl with a pinch of salt.
2. Whisk milk and egg together, then add to dry ingredients, whisking until smooth.
3. Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and brush with a little melted butter. Drop level tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and cook for half a minute or until bubbles appear on the surface.
4. Turn over and cook other side for 1 minute until golden.
5. Allow to cool and serve with butter, and whatever else takes your fancy.