The Circle | Quick & Easy Canapes

This week I cooked up a canape storm on Channel Ten's - The Circle. It was great fun and there's nothing quite like the adrenaline of live TV!

I whipped up a few super quick and easy canapes that will allow you to get on with the important stuff when entertaining, having fun.

Creamed Corn Fritters with Chilli Jam

Makes 30 bite size canapes

1 x 420g creamed corn (pref. no artificial colours/ flavours & preservative free)
1 egg
1 ¼ cup plain flour
sea salt to season
1 tbs rice bran oil
store bought chilli jam (Christine Manfield’s is my favourite)

Mix together the creamed corn, egg and plain flour and season with sea salt.

Heat the rice bran in a large non stick frypan on a medium heat. Using 2 teaspoons, spoon small rounds of mixture and pan fry 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Serve hot with chilli jam on the side.

Cauliflower Soup Shooters with Chorizo Crumble

½ head cauliflower, sliced finely
1 heaped tbs butter
250ml milk
¾ cup chicken stock
sea salt to season

Crumble
2 slice day old bread, crusts removed
1 small chorizo sausage, removed from its casing
1 tbs olive oil
sea salt to season

Place the cauliflower, butter, milk and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 -15 minutes or until tender.

Blend until smooth and season to taste.

For the crumble, pan fry the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, after a minute or so crumble the bread in continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Season to taste and blitz to a crumb like consistency in a food processor.

Pour the soup into shot glasses and spoon over the crumble.

Pumpkin Soup Shooters with Candied Almond & Pistachio

500g butternut pumpkin, finely sliced
1 heaped tbs butter
250ml milk
¾ cup chicken stock
sea salt to season

Candied Almond & Pistachio
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup raw caster sugar
¼ cup pistachios
sea salt

Place the pumpkin, butter, milk and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 -15 minutes or until tender.

Blend until smooth and season to taste.

For the candied nuts, place the almonds and sugar in a small non stick frypan and cook on a medium heat until the sugar liquidises and turns golden (about 3 minutes). Stir through the pistachios and sprinkle with sea salt.

Spoon onto a sheet of baking paper and allow to cool slightly before blitzing to a crumb like consistency in a food processor.

Pour the soup into espresso cups and spoon over candied nuts and serve.

All things Swedish | Beetroot Cured Gravadlax Recipe

As a lover of Swedish design and stationery, I'm featuring the gorgeous kikki.K Kitchen range in this blog post. And, I thought it was only fitting to provide a Swedish inspired recipe to go with it.

It's nice to have a home for all the inspiring recipe ideas that I've ripped out from magazines and newspapers, to have recipe sheets to write down my own recipe creations, to plan my meals and to write my shopping list. Like any other organised space, I'm much more motivated and productive when I  know where everything is.

L to R My Baking Folder $39.95 My Recipes Folder $39.95  Kitchen Notes $39.95 Magnetic Board $49.95 Heart Magnets $4.95 Shopping List $14.95 Meal Planner $9.95 Recipe Box $39.95 DIY Sticker Book $19.95 My Recipe Book $39.95 Recipe Gel Pen $4.95

Recipe & Styling by Mish Lilley
Photography by Guy Lavoipierre

Beetroot Cured Gravadlax
Serves 8-10

Start this recipe 2 days ahead
15 mins prep time

You’ll need:
1 x 800g approx side of salmon, skin on and pin-boned
160g rock salt
50g raw sugar
1 large raw beetroot, peeled and grated
50ml unflavoured vodka
½ bunch dill, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 lime zested

Horseradish condiment
200ml sour cream
2 tsp seeded mustard
1 tsp horseradish, grated or from a jar

2 tbs dill, chopped
fresh baby pea shoots or watercress to serve

Line a tray or dish big enough to lie the salmon flat, with foil. Lay the salmon skin side down on the tray and cover evenly with the rock salt. Scatter the sugar over the top of the salt, followed by the beetroot. Lastly, pour over the vodka and top with the dill and lime zest. Cover the salmon tightly with cling film and place another tray on top and weigh it down with a tin or two and refrigerate for 48 hours.

Move the tray to the sink and scrape off the topping, taking care to remove all the salt. Pat the salmon dry with paper towel and gently cut thin slices diagonally from the flesh using a sawing motion.

Serve with the horseradish condiment and fresh baby pea shoots or toasted rye bread.

Mother's Day | Easy Raspberry Ripple Souffle

Spoil your mum with this ridiculously easy souffle. If you've never dared to make a souffle before, follow my step-by-step guide to yumminess. You'll be shocked at just how easy it is.

Happy Mother's Day x



Raspberry Ripple Souffle
Makes 2

You'll need:
(be precise and use scales if you can)
150g raspberries
2 tsp caster sugar (extra)
60g egg white
30g caster sugar

Pre-heat oven to 170C

Brush 2 teacups with melted butter and gently dust with caster sugar.

Put the raspberries and the 2 teaspoons of sugar in a blender or food processor and blitz until combined. Strain through a fine sieve to extract the seeds. Set aside.

Put the egg white into a clean and dry bowl, add a small pinch of the sugar and beat in a mixer on high until a medium soft peak, then gently rain in the rest of the sugar.

Beat until you have a firm consistency like this:

Stir through 80g of strained raspberry puree with a spatula, taking care to not beat out the air. Spoon into the greased tea cups.

Using a spatula flatten the mixture and run your fingernail around the edge of the cup to ensure no mixture is left on the edges. This will ensure an even rise.

Place the cups on a small tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes until risen and golden.

Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Brown Rice Gumbo with Crispy Southern Style Prawns

This tasty one pot wonder is a great way to introduce kids to interesting flavours and it's easy to dial up or down the chilli to your family's tastes. The prawns are totally optional, but they are pretty awesome!

Photographic enthusiasts: please ignore the over exposure :)

You'll need:

1 tbs olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red capsicum, finely chopped

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp spanish paprika

1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup plain flour

2 heaped tbs tomato paste

1.5 litres chicken stock

1 x 400g can organic chopped tomatoes

1 cup organic brown rice

2x small chorizo sausages, chopped

2 cups cooked/ poached chicken, shredded

1 cup green beans, chopped into small lengths

12 green uncooked prawns

2 cups plain flour

2 eggs beaten

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 tbs shirachi hot chilli sauce (optional)

1 tbs salt

1 tbs pepper 

1 tbs garlic powder

Heat the oil in a large pot and gently saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the chopped capsicum, oregano, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir for a few minutes to release the flavours. Add the flour and the tomato paste and cook, stirring for a few further minutes or until starting to thicken. Gradually pour in the stock whisking as you go to incorporate well. Add the tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil.

Pour in the rice and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, pan-fry the chorizo until golden and crispy and cooked through.

Add the chicken, chorizo and green beans to the gumbo and cook for a further 5 minutes.

To prep prawns:

Heat 250 mls of rice bran oil in a medium saucepan to 180c or until sizzling when you add a bread crumb.

Prepare 3 bowls, one with flour, the other with beaten egg and chilli sauce and the other with breadcrumbs. Mix together the salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside. Dip the prawns in the flour, then the egg and coat in breadcrumbs leaving the tail exposed. 

Fry the prawns in the oil (just a few at a time) turning over after 2 minutes and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and season with the salt and pepper mix.   

Scatter the prawns on top of the gumbo and serve.

Pumpkin and Polenta Bread

Whenever I go out for breakfast and there is corn bread on the menu, I order it. I particularly love the borderline savoury and sweet factor and it just goes so well with poached eggs and avocado. I've actually never made corn bread before, but, I had some leftover mashed pumpkin and a hankering, so, the rest is history. 

You'll need:

1 cup polenta (the real deal/ not instant)

1.5 cups self raising flour

1 tbs raw caster sugar

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup grapeseed oil 

3 organic eggs

1 cup mashed pumpkin

pepitas (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line a loaf tin.

Mix together the polenta, flour, sugar and salt. Simply whisk in the oil, eggs and mashed pumpkin, stir to combine and pour into prepared tin.

Sprinkle with pepitas and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. How easy is that?

 

Comfort | Vegetable & Barley Soup

I did a readers choice callout on Facebook, and it seems a good vegetable & barley soup recipe is needed. So here it is.

We can't get enough of tasty hearty soups in Melbourne, particularly when the weather takes a turn for the worst.

Remember, soup is all about the stock, so always use a good quality stock that is full of flavour. I know homemade stock can seem a bit labour intensive, but it is well worth the effort flavour wise. If you just can't find the time, there are a few good quality brands that taste close to homemade such as The Stock Merchant and Moredough Kitchens.

Vegetable and Barley Soup
Serves 4-6 (freezes well)

1/2 cup organic barley
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic. finely chopped
1 carrot, grated or julienned
1 parsnip, grated or julienned
1/4 pumpkin, chopped into small diced
1 zucchini, grated or julienned
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups of water
1 cup chopped green beans (optional)

Add the barley to a large pot of cold water and bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

Drain and rinse the grains under cold water and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and gently saute the onion and garlic until transparent. Add the carrot, parsnip, pumpkin and zucchini and gently saute for 5 minutes.

Pour in the stock and water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the barley and beans and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Check for seasoning, depending on how flavourful the stock is, you may need to add a few big pinches of sea salt and lots of cracked pepper.

Back to School | Tupperware Fuel Pack Giveaway

School holidays are over again and it's back to routine and packing lunch boxes. I've got some extra yummy lunchbox ideas to add to your repertoire and one of 2 fabulous Tupperware Fuel Packs for you to win.

Part of the the brand new Autumn/Winter collection these sturdy and reusable containers have been specifically designed to help children eat the right foods to fuel their body and reduce lunchtime waste. Unlike many other lunchboxes I've tried, they hold a good amount of food, are easy for little fingers to open and close and are hinged so the covers can't be lost.

To win one of these fabulous packs RRP $71.40, comment below with a clever lunchbox idea and click through the links below to like each of the Mish Delish and Tupperware Facebook Pages.

Mish Delish

Tupperware Australia

Conditions: You must be an Australian resident (with a valid Australian address). Winners will be announced on the Mish Delish Facebook page on Monday 23 April 2012.

Here's a few lunchbox friendly ideas that my kids love.

Microwave popcorn

Place a handful of popping corn in a brown paper bag and place in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. You'll end up with fresh popcorn, made without oil or butter.

Heart shaped pikelets

Mix together 1 cup of self raising flour, a small pinch of salt, 1 tbs of sugar, 3/4 cup of milk, 1 egg and 1 tbs of melted butter. Cook tablespoons of batter in a non stick frypan on a medium heat until golden on both sides. Press out hearts with a heart shaped cookie cutter.

Chicken and vege sausage rolls

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

olive oil

300g chicken mince

200g sausage mince (I get this fresh from my butcher)

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini grated

1/2 cup breadcrumbs + extra 

1 egg, lightly beaten (only add 1/2 of this egg to the mix)

salt and pepper

3-4 sheets of puff pastry

1 extra 

Pre heat oven to 180C and defrost the pastry sheets.

Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil and set aside to cool.

Mix together the onion, garlic, chicken and sausage mince, carrot, zucchini, breadcrumbs and half of the egg.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Cut each pastry sheet in half and place an even sized amount of sausage roll mixture in the middle of each rectangle, roll tightly and seal. Place on a baking sheet and glaze with extra egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.