Avocado dip

Below is a quick and easy avocado dip, similar to a guacamole dip but without chili.

1 x avocado

1 x clove of garlic

Sprinkle of salt

1 x teaspoon of olive oil

1/2 a lemon

Method - scoop out avocado and blend with a hand mixer.

Chop garlic finely and add to avocado, add salt and olive oil.

Done.

Mint balls

This was a happy accident. Sometimes the outcomes of happy accidents are a pleasant surprise.

Attempting to make macarons for the 2nd time, my mixture was a little bit runny so when I took them out of the oven, they were too soft and flat, not fluffy at all but instead of throwing the mixture out, I rolled them into balls then dusted them with sugar.

Mint balls

225g icing sugar

125g almond meal

125g egg whites

40g white sugar

10 peppermint leaves, chopped 

4 cap fulls of green food dye

3 cap fulls of blue food dye

Method - 

Use the same recipe as my previous macaron recipe but put 1 extra egg white in (to make it a bit softer).

Once you take them out of the oven, let cool for 5 minutes then left off the baking paper and roll each 'macaron' in your hands until you make a ball.

In a bowl of sugar, roll each ball around until it is covered in sugar.

Piña colada fruit salad

Ok, so there's no rum in this salad but it tastes amazing still.

You can use whatever fruit you want as long as there's pineapple juice and coconut milk involved. 

Here I used orange, pineapple, apple, chopped hazelnuts and then I topped it off with coconut milk and some pineapple juice.

Simple.

Pistachio macaroon (macaron) with raisin filling

I love macarons, but I keep calling them macaroons as do so many other people. I have never baked them before so this was my first attempt.

Below 

The difference between a macaron and a macaroon 

(I found this image on the internet).

                                        Below - my pistachio macaron with raisin filling

Recipe - 

225g icing sugar

125g almond meal

125g egg whites

40g white sugar

A handfull of chopped pistachio nuts

Method-

Preheat oven to 150C. Sift icing sugar with the almond meal and add chopped pistachio nuts. Beat egg whites until you get little white peaks and then add the white sugar a bit at a time and give it a bit more of a beating (but not too much, don't whip the air out of them...you need a fluffy mixture).

Fold the almond meal and icing sugar mixture into the egg mixture. Pop into a piping bag and then squeeze 2cm rounds onto the baking paper lined tray.

This should do you about 60 rounds, making 30 macarons in total (top and bottoms).

LEAVE to rest for 30 minutes in a warm place. This will help to dry them to form a slightly protective barrier to prevent burning.

Put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Once out of the oven, remove from tray once the macarons have cooled down.

Filling -

160g butter

4 teaspoons of white sugar

2 tablespoons of chopped raisins

Method - 

Cover raisins in water in saucepan and bring to boil then drain and chop.

Beat butter with sugar until creamy.

Spoon the mixture between 2 of a macaron sides and then serve. 

Warning - these are slightly addictive, one may not be enough.

Tamarind, apple and pistachio porridge

Weird combo but it somewhat works. I layered my ingredients in a jar for a pretty effect.

Cook porridge - I just did mine in the microwave, 1 part oats to 1.5 parts water or milk for 2 minutes on high. Afterwards I added some butter.

I simply layered it with chopped apples and tamarind which is a fruit, similar in texture to dates but with a sour kick to it. I also drizzled honey and a little milk into my layers and then topped off with some pistachio nuts.

Rosemary garlic bread

So good. Garlic smells amazing but it smells even better when you mix a bit of rosemary in with it.

I just mixed 2 cloves of chopped garlic with 2 teaspoons of butter, a sprig of chopped rosemary and a few pinches of salt. I then spread it on 2 pieces of crusty bread (ciabatta) and popped it under the grill for 2 minutes.

Poached eggs in pouches

If you've never cooked poached eggs and don't have any sort of pan or kitchen tool to make them, then this is by the far the easiest option. 

Step 1 - Cut cling wrap into a square roughly 30cm x 30cm 

Step 2 - Drape cling wrap over a small bowl/cup and pour a small amount of oil in (1/2 a teaspoon) or spray the cling wrap with spray oil.

Step 3 - Crack an egg into the cling wrap resting in the cup

Step 4 - Grab all 4 corners of the cling wrap and tie into a knot so you now have the egg in a tied pouch.  Make sure it's tight and there's no air is in the pouch. Repeat for all desired amount of eggs.

Step 5 - Boil for 5 minutes but be careful to not overboil, you want a soft yolk.

Step 6 - Remove eggs from water, cut the knot off the pouch and gently peel the cling wrap away. Serve with salt and black pepper.

Enjoy.

Sushi - california rolls

What's a california roll? It's sushi with rice on the outside and seaweed on the inside.

Sushi is amazing but tastes even more amazing if it's inside out. "But how can it taste more amazing if it's inside out?" you say. It just does.

I made these with raw salmon and cucumber. I also put some avocado in some of the other ones I made (I somehow ate them before taking the photo - they tasted too good).

Serve with a bowl of soy sauce to dip in and have wasabi and pickled ginger on the plate too. 

I found a video on the web of how to make these. Of course mine don't anything like his but you get the picture.

Here it is.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-California-Roll

Scrambled eggs with buffalo mozzarella and mushrooms

Make scrambled eggs with 2 eggs and roughly 3/4 cup of milk and whisk with a fork in the hot pan or just use an egg lifter. Add a small handful of chopped tomato and mushroom. Serve with buttered English muffins and top with buffalo mozzarella (boconcini) and some rocket or other green salad on top.