Yeehah's Pumpkins

PUMPKIN CHOC-ORANGE CAKE

125g butter/marg, chopped
1 tablesp grated orange rind
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups SR flour
1 teasp bicarb soda
3/4 cup cold cooked mashed pumpkin
1 tablesp golden syrup
1/4 cup orange juic

Grease & flour 14 x 21 cm loaf pan.

Combine all ingredients in bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until all ingredients are combined.

Then, beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in colour.

Spoon and spread mixture into prepared pan.

Bake in moderate oven 180oC about 55 mins.

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SAVOURY PUMPKIN PATTIES

This is a "rule of thumb" recipe, practice will make it good!

Use cold mashed potato, mix with approx half that amount of mashed pumpkin. Whisk an egg for every 2 cups of combined cold mash, combine. Add a heaped tablespoon of SR flour, sifted with a bit of salt (my lot like it salty, about 1/2 teaspoon) per 2 cups of mash mix. If it's not coming together to a manageable doughy consistency, gradually add more SR flour. Form into patties, dust with flour.

Preheat a frying pan for a few minutes (more for a thick based pan), cover base with oil, shallow fry patties until golden brown and flour has cooked through. Might have to squash them a bit flatter when you turn them over the first time!

p.s. I have also tried whisked egg + leftover rice + mashed pumpkin + chopped leftover roast meat + SR flour patties. As long as the rice has gone sticky (e.g. what's left in the bottom of the rice cooker - not rinsed!) it works pretty well.

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CURRIED PUMPKIN MUFFINS

2 cups SR flour
1 cup plain flour
1 teasp bicarb soda
2 teasp sugar
2 teasp ground cumin
2 teasp ground coriander
1/2 teasp salt
1 cup cold cooked mashed pumpkin
2 tablesp hot vindaloo curry paste
1 egg
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 cup milk

Grease 12 hole muffin pan (I use canola spray).

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, stir with large metal spoon until just combined.

Spoon mix into prepared pan.

Bake Mod Hot oven 200oC about 25mins.

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PUMPKIN SCONES

Another rule of thumb recipe!

For every 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mashed pumpkin (less if it's runny, more if it's dry) - sift 2 cups SR flour into a bowl, rub in 30g margarine. Mix in mashed pumpkin. Add milk (soy or cow) until reach a good doughy consistency. Turn onto floured surface, roll/press flat till about 4cm thick, cut with round cutter, place on greased tray, brush tops with milk, cook in preheated hot oven 220oC until brown and risen.

Aquarium's Summer Treats

Iceberg lettuce dressing:

This is sweet with a tang to it. Kids also love it.

1/5 cup (normal teacup) of thick cream, add several splashes of white vinegar and about 2-3 teaspoons of sugar.

Stir with a spoon to dissolve the sugar and pour over a bowl of iceberg lettuce leaves...

Maybe stir with tongs to coat the leaves more.

Squashed strawberries desert:

This is great in summer as a very light and refreshing dinner for a hot day (one punnet of strawberries each + fresh bread rolls)
clean strawberries and remove stems/leaves.

Squash directly in soup plate (not soup bowl) with a fork.

If making large quantity squash in a saucepan with spud masher.

Add a tablespoon of thick cream (a tablespoon or two per punnet strawbs) and 2-3 teaspoons sugar and stir to dissolve.

Do not under any circumstances use a motorized jig on the strawbs and do not add ice.

Ice curdles the cream, and whirrlyjigs totally spoil the texture of strawbs.

Anyway, refrigerate for a few minutes if you want it nice and cold.

Now the warmer weather and longer days are starting, my chooks have started to lay more eggs. On the average I'm getting just over 6 eggs a day from the chooks and some days 5 from the ducks.

Here are a couple of great egg recipes from my kitchen.

Baked Custard

3 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 & 1/2 cups milk

nutmeg or cinnamon

Beat eggs, sugar & vanilla together lightly, add milk stir to combine.

Pour into ovenproof dish, sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Stand dish in baking dish with enough water to come half way up sides of dish.

Bake in oven at 200 degrees C for 60 minutes.

Note: I check by using in metal spoon to see if the egg is cooked & set.

Egg & Bacon Pie

4 eggs

3/4 cup packet pastry

3/4 cup grated cheese

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup bacon

3/4 cup cream (opt)

spring onions chopped or 1 diced onion


Combined all together in bowl and mix.

Spread into round oven pie dish.

Cook 200 degrees C for about an hour or until cooked and golden brown.

Note: We usually eat it with a garden salad.

Pomolo's Lemon Oil

LEMON OIL

2 litres water

4 lemons peeled and juiced

1 large brown onion

2 ripe tomatoes

2 teas turmeric

2 dessert spoons peppercorns

3 bay leaves

pinch salt

600ml grape seed oil


Method
Place all ingredients, except water, lemon juice and peel, in stainless steel pan- on low heat.

Warm all ingredients until aromatic. Do not overheat.

Add lemon juice peel and water. Simmer for half hour.

Strain into clear plastic bucket and rest for 4- 6 hours.

Oil will separate from water and rise to the top.

Skim oil and store in container in fridge.

Will last indefinitely.

Lucky's Fig Jam

3 lbs figs (minced or chopped finely)

3/4 cup water

3 lbs sugar

juice of 1 lemon


Add figs & water and bring to boil slowly.

Add sugar when boiling...... Add lemon juice.

Boil for about 20 mins

Bottle and seal.


Like all jam recipes a bit of the time cooking the mixture can be decided by the quality of fruit you use.

So I tend to use a bit of that gut feeling when cooking jam.

Pomolo's HOLY MOLEY GUACAMOLE

HOLY MOLEY GUACAMOLE


Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 teaspoon sour cream
Finely chopped tomatoes to taste
Finely chopped spring onions to taste
1 teaspoon mayonaise
Chilli powder or fresh chillie
Ground black pepper
Few drops of lemon juice

1. Mash the heck out of the avocado.

2. Add tomato and onion

3. Add everything to taste beginning with sour cream

4. Stir in a small amount of mayonaise.

Lucky's Boiled Fruit Cake.

Into a good size saucepan put

500 grams dried mixed fruit
125 grams butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Bring to boil and boil for 5 mins.

When its only warm add

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
1/4 cup of sherry


When cold add

2 eggs
1 cup plan flour
1 cup SR flour

Place in a cake tin, I use a square one .

Cook 1 hour or until cooked at 200 degrees.


I use duck eggs and it gives a great texture and the cake just seems so much yummier.

Lucky's Mushroom sauce

Slice the amount of mushrooms you want to add to the sauce.

I leave some button mushrooms just cut in half as well.

Slice spring onions. Once again the amount you use is your own choice. Or you can replace spring onions with an onion and cut this into rings.

Cook in a small amount of oil for about 5 mins.


Add the following:

1 chicken stock cube
2 teaspoons plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring to boil and boil 2 mins

Lower heat and simmer 15 mins.

Just before time is up add fresh or dried parsley.


I tend to make this in the morning as it gives time for the flovours to mix.

Also using older mushrooms will give you more stronger mushroom taste.

Serve with beef or grilled chicken.

Kell's Barramundi Fillets

Barramundi Fillets

½ Cup of flour
½ Cup dry breadcrumbs
1 Tspn curry powder
1 Tspn Cumin powder
2 Tspn sweet chilli sauce (or to taste)
2 Eggs
salt & pepper

* heat oil in a deep heavy based pan

* mix the dry ingredients

* spread them on a plate

* paper towel dry the fillets

* dip in beaten egg

* coat with flour mix

* shake off excess

* drop the fish in the pan 5 min max

* squeeze half the lemon over while cooking

* chilli sauce and remainder of lemon juice added to the eggs

* fork beat until mixed

Serve fish with the egg sauce and a fresh garden salad

Pomolo's Chilli Jam

CHILLI JAM

200g chillies
200g onion
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teas salt
2 tabs lemon juice

Slice chillies. (with or without seeds)

Put all the ingredients into a medium saucepan.

Bring slowly to the boil stirring till the sugar dissolves.

Cook uncovered on high heat for approx 10 minutes until thick.

You can cook it longer if you like a thicker consistency. I do.

Basil Recipe's from Culpeper

Basil Pesto
1 large bunch basil (or use parsley, coriander or chervil)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup oil

Blend or process all ingredients together to make a thick sauce. Serve over pasta or vegetables or as a dip.


Basil Mint Orange Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1 cup fresh mint leaves, firmly packed
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil (or more)
salt and pepper to taste

In a processor, blend first 6 ingredients until almost smooth.
With machine running, gradually add olive oil; process until smooth.
If pesto is dry, mix in more oil by spoonfuls.
Season with salt and pepper.

(Can be made ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using.)


Basil Jelly

1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
90g powdered pectin

Place basil in pan, add water, bring to boil, then remove from heat and set aside (covered) for 15 minutes to steep.
Strain liquid into a 2 cup glass measure.
Add water to measure 1 3/4 cup if necessary. Return liquid to saucepan.
Stir in pectin and lemon juice. Bring to the boil over high heat.
Add sugar and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for 1 minute.
Pour into hot, sterile jars and seal.

Try using purple basil, anise basil, cinnamon basil or lemon basil.

Culpeper's chilli collection.

Chilli Biscuits

4 dried jalapeno chillies (or other hot chillies)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup sunflower seed oil
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped cashew nuts
1/2 cup raisins

Chop the chillies and put into a pan with the milk and simmer gently until the milk begins to boil.
Cool and put through a blender.
Add the egg, oil, yoghurt, brown sugar and vanilla and blend for 1 minute.
Set aside.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda and add the wet mixture, stirring well. Mix in the oats, cashews and raisins.
Drop teaspoonfuls onto a greased oven tray and bake at 180C for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Eat one of these biscuits whenever drowsiness overcomes.


Chilli Chutney

Mince or chop finely 1 cup ripe chillies, 1 onion and 1 cup of raisins.
Place in sacepan with 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt.
Boil slowly until dark and most of the vinegar is absorbed.

Juelz's chili Cordial

CHILI CORDIAL

20-24 birdseye chili
1 dsp tartaric acid
2 dsp lemon juice
4 cups sugar
5 cups water

Cut 4 chili in half, place all in pot with sugar and water boil for 10 minutes.

Cool and strain.
Add acid and lemon.
Bottle and seal.
Dilute 1 part to 4.
Try it ........it surprised me

Kell's Chili Sauce

Hot Chili Sauce

You will need
6-12 jalapenos
2 onions chopped
750g skinned tomatoes stewed
salt to taste
4 tbsp coriander chopped finely

• · remove the tops of the jalapenos
• · split them in half
• · put them in a saucepan with the onions
• · just cover with water
• · cook on low heat until the onion is tender
• · put this mixture in the blender
• · add half the tomatoes, coriander and salt
• · hit the pulse button until mixed
• · do not liquefy – needs to be chunky
• · taste – add other spices as you wish
• · add the remainder of the tomatoes
• · pulse
• · taste
• · refrigerate

Kell's Chili BBQ Sauce/ Nacho Dip

Chili BBQ Sauce/ Nacho Dip

You will need
150g tomato paste
50g tomato sauce
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
10g sugar
pepper & salt & tabasco to taste
chilies – depends on how hot you want it/ what you have - perhaps 5 birds eye or 2 jalapenos or 5 Hungarian Hot Wax/ Anaheim
garlic - 3-4 cloves chopped finely
1 onion

1. · mix tomato paste, tomato sauce, white vine vinegar, lemon juice, oil and soy in a bowl
2. · add sugar, freshly ground black pepper, salt, and a dash of Tabasco
3. · cut the chilies lengthwise in half and remove the seeds
4. · if you like it extra spicy use the seeds - but be careful
5. · dice the chilies finely
6. · add to the sauce and stir
7. · mince the garlic and finely dice the onion
8. · mix well

• This sauce can be stored for several days in the fridge

Kell's chili Macaroni Cheese.

Chili Macaroni Cheese

You will need

2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 green capsicum diced
2 celery stalks chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
300g stewed tomatoes
1 450g can kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 or 6 chilies to taste, chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons minced oregano
salt to taste if you must
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup elbow macaroni
3/4 cup shredded vintage cheese

• · preheat a large, heavy based pot on medium/high heat
• · add oil
• · saute onion, capsicum, celery and garlic until onion is translucent
• · stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, cumin, chilies, oregano, salt and black pepper
• · bring to the boil
• · reduce heat, put a lid on the pot
• · simmer for 15min, stir occasionally
• · cook macaroni, drain
• · stir cooked macaroni into the pot
• · just simmer for 5 min over low heat uncovered
• · remove from heat
• · fold in cheese
• · let stand 5-10 min
• · serve
• – makes 4
  

MaryMaryQuiteContrary's sweet chilli sauce

Sweet Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:


2 kg sugar.

1.2 Litres cider vinegar.

300 gms fresh seeded chillies.

100 gms Garlic.

50 to 100 gms fresh ginger.

1 teaspoon salt.



Directions :

1. Puree ginger, garlic and chillies with some vinegar and place in a pot.

2. Add rest of vinegar, sugar and salt.

3. Cook on a slow boil until a syrupy consistency and bottle. Cooking process usually
takes thirty to forty minutes.

Makes six small bottles.

Other Notes :
I use a medium hot chilli. If you want to make it hotter add more chillies or use a hotter chilli variety, such as Jalapeno.

Bubba Louie's Spinach Dip.

Spinach Dip

300ml sour cream
250ml Miracle Whip mayo
1 onion finely chopped
1 tin water chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 pkt spring vege soup mix
1 pkt frozen spinach thawed and squeezed out.

Mix all together and serve in a hollowed out cob loaf using the inside bread to dip.


You can use that fresh spinach out in your garden.

Prinbo WA's Vegie Bake.

Prinbo’s Vegie Bake ‘Stench’ ☺

(Stench was the name given to this by number 2 son and it apparently means great, awesome etc)

This is really simple and great for bbq’s

Potatoes

pumpkin

sweet potato

packet of cream chicken or cheese and leek or french onion soup

large tub of thickened cream

The quantity of the vegies required depends on how big your baking dish is. (I use my lasagne dish)

Then all you need to do is just alternate layers of vegies in the baking dish, place packet soup in mixing bowl or glass jug, add cream and mix until all the cream and soup is combined, pour over the vegies making sure they are completely covered, cover with aluminium foil.

Place in oven at about 160c and cook until all vegies are cooked through, which takes approximately 1½ hours, however cooking time does depend on the depth of the dish and amount of vegies used. Take out of oven and remove the foil, sprinkle with grated cheese, replace foil and put back in oven with it turned off and let stand for about 10 minutes or so to allow cream sauce to thicken up.

* Hint: If you find the cream sauce is bubbling too much just reduce the temperature to about 150c. Also be careful removing foil as you can get a bit of a steam burn if you are not careful.

Bubba Louie's plate of goodies.

Polenta and Corn Muffins.

1 425g tin sweet corn. (Liquid and all, not drained)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups S.R.Flour
1/2 cup polenta
1 cup grated tasty cheese.
Red onion, bacon, capsicum and parsley as much as you like, all finely chopped.

Preheat oven to 200.

Mix all together. This is a very forgiving recipe, you can cut down on the oil and cheese if you wish or vary the vege.

For mini muffins bake approx 20 min.


Chorizo and Bean Stew

700g baby spuds, quartered
oil
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 teasp chilli flakes
400g can butter beans
410g can diced toms
2 fresh bay leaves
150g beef or chick stock
4 tablesp chopped parsley

Boil spuds till just tender.
Heat oil, add chorizo and cook till golden.
Add garlic and chilli. Cook for a few seconds.
Add spuds, beans, toms, bay leaves and simmer 10 minutes.


Sour cherry and Ricotta Cake (Low Fat)


1 680g jar Morello Cherries
1/2 cup light marg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teasp vanilla extract
2 eggs
250g smooth ricotta
3/4 cup S.R.flour
3/4 cup plain wholemeal flour
1/2 teasp bicarb
1 teasp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 160.
Grease a deep 19cm square cake tin, line with paper.
Drain cherries and reserve 1/4 cup of juice.
Beat marg, sugar, vanilla.
Beat eggs in one at a time.
Add ricotta, sifted dry ingredients and reserved juice. Beat on low till combined.
Spread in tin and top with cherries.
Cook for about 1 hour and stand in tin for 5 min before taking out.