Hot cross bun fudge bites – recipe!

now common, who doesn’t like makin a special treat for friends and family at easter time? And who doesn’t mind licking the spoon when you make something super sweet and delicious? Well I don’t make fudge often, as it is soooooo full of nasty ingredients that will make my thighs even bigger than what they already are… But I’ll make it for my friends, so that I can feel skinny, while they stuff their faces full of it!!! Hahahaha



Delicious Easter Hot Cross Bun Fudge is super easy to make and here’s how.

Ingredients:

1 can condensed milk

100g butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1/4 teaspoon chinese 5 spice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup sultana

1/4 cup currents

Method:

Mix your butter, sugar, condensed milk and golden syrup in a large glass bowl. Mix it well and place in the microwave for 10minutes on high. Every 2 minutes take it out and stirr it! If you miss this step it will burn and have gritty dried bits when you mix it together.

Mixing below



after your 10 minutes in the microwave add your spices, sultanas and currents. Mix through well.



Finally grease proof a square baking tin, or line it with baking paper if you like. Smooth it as best you can, like below.



Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and cut into bite sized pieces. 

Delicious! 

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Asian chicken salad with crispy dried shallots



This was one of the salads we were making and selling, that I had for lunch today in writers week at the adelaide fringe festival. It was the BOMB! Delicious fresh flavours, that had great texture throughout. Delicate soft rice noodles with gingery poached chicken, thinly crisp slaw topped with crunchy fried shallots.

This is a recipe where you make as much or as little as you need, so I have put the ingredients below but you add more of the flavours that you like the most.

Recipe:

Cooked rice noodles

Poached chicken

Thinly sliced cucumber (minus the seeds)

Thinly cut carrot

Shredded cabbage

Mint leaves

All tossed together

Dressing:

1/2 cup Lemon juice

1/2 cup fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

A few coriander leaves chopped

1 hot chili

1 crushed/diced garlic

A pinch of ginger 

Mango & Pretzel Bliss Balls? Say what!

okkkkk so you should know by now if your following on my Instagram account – the_middle_ingredient_leia   That I LOVE creating and inventing new crazy flavours and combinations! It’s all about texture and trying new ingredients, and exposing our 3 kids to nutrition and flavour!



So here we have used Premium Choice branded, dried mango and linseed meal! They have been great supporters in seeing me try new products and creating goodies for them to share with others who like using their health foods – and well, because they are a south Australian Buisness I want to show my support for small local businesses.

Okkkkk so your all saying HURRY UP Leia give us the recipe.

Well it’s simple, all you need is:

1 bag of dried mango

3/4 cup linseed meal

1/2 cup coconut (either shredded or decicated)

Blend or food process or thermomix or even stick blender!! If you have one of these gadgets you can make these balls. BLITZ — BLITZ — BLITZ & BLITZ some more.

Crush some pretzels, I did mine in a zip lock bag and crushed them with a heavy rolling pin. But seriously this should be easy, so do what ever you can think of to get them a bit crumbly and on tiny pieces! Trust me it will work 👍

Using a spoon scoop a bit smaller than a golf ball into the palm of your hand and roll as best shape into a ball as you can.

Roll into the pretzels. I had trouble getting a LOT to stick, but I tried my best and some was better than none. And to be honest any more and they would just be a big giant pretzel! Let them set in the fridge and go slightly hard before eating. 

They should store well and for a long time in the fridge (if they last that long)

Lime crisp cookies

who doesn’t like a crunchy cookie!?

Combine that with Lime, and you have a “WOWZER” of a combination

There is something about limes and coconut in our house – the kids love it, and mum and dad love it! Seriously can’t get enough. Now I’m kicking my self, knowing I should have made them coconut and lime. Oh well, next time!!!



Now this batch/recipe will make LOTS! Depending on stage size your after. So you may want to halve it and try them first and see if you love them as much as we do. But seriously, you know you will love ’em so just make the whole lot hahaha…

Recipe

1 1/2 lime zest

1 1/2 lime juice

250g butter

1 3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tspn vanilla

1 egg

(Mix the above ingredients well)

2  3/4 cups SR. Flour

METHOD:

Roll into small balls and press onto a tray. These are a very buttery crisp cookie, so will spread far on your tray. Give them space between each other. Bake in a fan forced 180 degree oven for 15 minutes. they will look soft when they come out, but will harden and go crunchy after cooled. Totally the type of cookie you are going to want to dunk in your cuppa!!! Or to accompany your green tea 👌

Jack Rubys – Adelaide City

awesome place to visit, if your in the city. if your a traveler or have friends and family coming from overseas and they want to try some Aussie crocodile – this is the place to do it in little ol’ Adelaide. essentially it really looks like “just another burger place” and although it is a burger kingdom, they do them well and execute them well. the atmosphere or ambiance of Jack Rubys is certainly up there with the best places to eat and visit in SA.

here we have Pop Corn Croc Bites –

Some people might say – oh my gawd, you’ve ruined some good croc meat. but i say well done chef for giving Adelaide something more than just a plain old boring crocodile piece of meat on a plate! these were so delicious, i could go back again and again just for them.

this was just entree – of course! here is the main

Soft shell crab soft taco and on the right is a 5 spice duck soft taco

So delicious, of course we had to follow through and have dessert!!

red velvet waffle with chantilly cream and fresh berries

You certainly wont be dissapointed here guys! there is something for every one. try the burgers (although not pictured in this post) they are awesome, and we have been back many times just for a burger. It truly has a great atmosphere and any one could enjoy their night here.

There aint no other FRENCH TOAST like it!

So some people love a sweet breakfast, and others love the traditional bacon and eggs – MATT being MATT, loves everything followed by dessert. YEP even breakky! but we need to point out that no one else does a french toast that even compares to this one… where’s it from i hear you say?

its none other than The Pantry on Egmont.

seriously how scrumptious does this look? well you wait until you go and try it for your self. it is so far hands down one of the top 3 if not possibly the best french toast in adelaide. There – i said it! you need to get on it guys, and try it for your self.

not only would Matt have dessert, he also managed to squeeze this traditional breakfast in too –

Smashed Avocado with poached eggs

of course he is not always a coffee “goo-roo” and proffers a juice or milk shake so here is his in between course –

carrot, apricot and apple juice

Who knew a Winter Soup could be such a winner?

Ok, so i know winter is over now, but if any one can offer a wholesome winter food for lunch. Light meal, but still filling? Where, NEVER? i hear you say… Well yep! we know where. Devour Patisserie, thats where!

here we have – Ham hock, lentils and root vegetable soup with toasted ciabatta

superb flavour, with wholesome vegetables. a real hearty flavorsome soup that was not lacking any HAM! seriously, i could easily complain about soup from many, many cafe’s/restaurants from just being a boring ol’ soup with not enough flavour or texture – you know the ones that you have to add lots of salt and pepper to? well not this one! this was delicious.

this was accompanied by a honeycomb milkshake

and then dessert:

To finish, an apple, almond & milk chocolate stack…..oh and a snickers flavored macaron

Chia Puddings – Are EASY PEASY

Seriously! I mean — SERIOUSLY!!!
How have I not discovered these earlier?

If your on a health kick like me, you need to jump on the ban wagon and try making a chia pudding.
So what is it you say?
– did you know that chia seeds can grow to 10 times their size when absorbing liquid?
Well now you do!
It’s chia seeds in milk. Not just plain cows milk, ANY milk you want to use. I like using almond milk, but I’ve been known to use rice milk and coconut milk for these chia puddings.
The texture is a little bit like rice cream. Remember the old school rice cream in a can? It’s texture is very similar. So texturally if you didn’t like the rice puddings, you probably won’t like these puddings.

Flavour combos
chocolate milk, milo, strawberry milk, vanilla milk, eggnog, banana milk. You could do any of these with toppings (if wanted) I haven’t done mine like this because I don’t like added sugars and artificial flavourings.
But you could use cacao powder, cinnamon, mango, peach, kiwi fruit, cherry, blueberry, banana, apricot, honey, coffee & any other fruits you like! Simply purée them up & add milk of your choice.

Roughly it’s 1 cup of milk or liquid to 1/8 cup chia seeds to make a pudding.

•your liquid may be a combination of puréed fruit and milk

The BEST recipe so far that is hands down, my FAVOURITE is – Mango, Banana, Cinnamon & Coconut Milk.

1 banana
1 mango (or equivalent in frozen pieces)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can of coconut milk

Makes 3 puddings a bit larger than a cup each.
Prepare 3 jars with 1/8 cup of chia seeds and poor your liquid in. Give it a stir or if the jar has a lid, shake it up.

These make great snacks, desserts or even breakfast. Very filling and can be super tasty depending on what you like and what you want to use.

Here is a coffee one I made over the weekend

You know your in luck when…

You know the feeling of going to another market?
You get all excited that there will be a different crowed of people, new faces, delicious new produce, great things you haven’t seen before!
Until you set your sights on…
*drum roll please*

……..
Udder Delights Cheese

So tasty, so creamy, soft, moist, delicious, made to perfection!! And when I set my eyes on the stall, I was most excited to see a familiar product/company. So it’s not every market you enjoy seeing new products and faces, sometimes you have to stick to the good ol’ trusty ones as well.

Sit Lo – Bank Street Adelaide

Sometimes its not what’s on the plate that counts…

this cute little cafe is tucked away off of one of adelaide’s busiest streets. Serving top quality asian food with fresh ingredients and amazing flavours. It certainly is an experience when walking through the door at lunch time to be greeted with a smile.

Not only does the place have that up-cycle vibe that i love, it also has that modern feel too. so it really did make me feel at home. the long table through the centre was hands down one of the best features to this little joint, because its all about making people unite and come together – even when you dont know people, you can still sit together or next to each other.

Those Lotus Chips were sen-fricken-sational! so crispy, not like anything i had ever eaten before – and at a side serve of just $4.50 it certainly is not going to break the budget. a Delicious beef Pho was fresh and fragrant and thoroughly enjoyed.

Then there was the take away delicious crispy pork noodle bowl at just $10.50. it was another great combination of flavours that worked so well together texturally and packed full of the drool factor.

I’m positive you wont be dissapointed with what Sit Lo has to offer, and you will go back again and again to try more of the menu like we have.

Bon Appetite