Ellyn's 1st birthday Cake

Happy 1st Birthday Ellyn!! Mom & Dad Love you, lots of kisses ..

This is Very special Birthday cake, for my special little princess, because she is 1 year old now!!. We celebrated her birthday with her 10 friends, it was fun. Shew got lots of new toys from her friends and family, She's my beautiful, happy girl. We wish you all the best sweetheart.

Chocolate Truffles

Sweet treat for me and my hubby, very easy to make and fun, perfect for snack party too, i think they look elegance and pretty!.

Chocolate Truffles

(makes 35)

By: Donna Hay

• 400g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) single or pouring cream
• cocoa powder,sifted for dusting
• white and chocolate sprinkles, white chocolate, melted

Place the chocolate and cream over low heat. stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into a 15 x 18 cm dish lined with non-stick baking paper. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until set. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and dust with cocoa, sprinkles or melted white chocolate to serve.

Cup cake holders

I finally found this beautiful cup cake stand from one of the baby store retailer, product of Robert gordon Australia, it can hold 18 cup cakes. I was planning to make some cup cakes for my Ellyn's 1st birthday party, but then we decided to have it on one of the playcentre called Bonkers (they only allow us to bring one cake!) ,but then we don't have to clean up the mess ^_^ .Btw I will also make her special cake!. We'll see... btw it will be on Sunday,Nov 25th, Can't hardly wait!!.

Spinach & Ricotta Agnolotti with tomato and mushroom sauce

Golden, half-moon shaped egg pasta pillows filled with spinach and creamy fresh ricotta cheese. This is a delicious combination of flavours rounded off with a tasty mix of parmesan and ricotta cheeses.

Spinach & Ricotta Agnolotti with tomato and mushroom sauce
By:Titi

• 500g Spinach & Ricotta Agnolotti
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 100g Mushroom
• grated parmesan,Chopped Chives, to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan.
2. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft.
3. Add mushroom, cook for another 1 minutes.
4. Add tomato and oregano, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook Agnolotti in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water according to packet directions. Drain.
6. Top Agnolotti with Mushroom & Tomato sauce, sprinkle with Chopped chives and parmesan, serve.

Mini fun Cakes

Another cake i made yesterday, with butter cake and royal icing, i only use piping bags and some candies for decorations, just for fun.

Ellyn's cookies

Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese

(serve 2) By: titi

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small can creamed corn
• 200g lean beef mince
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 250g spaghetti
• grated parmesan,to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add creamed corn, cook for another 3 minutes.
2. Increase heat to high, add mince and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break up any lumps,until browned. Add tomato and oregano, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water according to packet directions. Drain. Top spaghetti with bolognese sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Sausage & Spinach Risotto

Sunday is usually my favorite day for me to cook, because my hubby look after my baby while i cook special dinner for us ^_^

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 500 ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 250 gr spicy Italian sausages,skins removed ( i used beef sausage)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 450g can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup risotto rice
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• Chopped parsley & grated parmesan to serve

Method:

1. Put the stock in a saucepan on the stove and keep at a gentle simmer.
   Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add sausage meat and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, squashing it with a spoon to break it up.
2. Add onions and garlic, and cook gently for 10 minutes or until onion is soft and golden.
3. Add diced tomatoes, and simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the rice, making sure it is heated through.
4. Begin to add the hot stock, a large ladleful at a time, stirring gently until each ladleful is almost absorbed into the rice. The risotto should be kept at a bare simmer throughout the cooking, so do not let the rice dry out - add more hot stock as necessary.
5. Continue until the rice is tender and creamy, but the grains still firm. This should take between 15 and 20 minutes, depending on the type of rice used ? look at the manufacturer's instructions.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper . Cover and rest for a couple of minutes to allow the risotto to relax . You may like to add a little more hot stock just before you serve to loosen it, but don't let the risotto hang around too long or the rice will turn mushy.
7. Serve in warm bowls, sprinkled with parmesan and garnished with parsley, if desired.
   

Chicken Scaloppini

You will love this Colorful, classic italian main meal.
Originally this recipe added prosciutto on top of Chicken.

Source: Australian Table magazine (Oct 07).

Chicken Scalloppini

(serve 4)

• 2 x 300g chicken Breast fillets
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finelly chopped
• 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup small black olive
• 125 g Mozzarella, sliced
• Salad or veg, to serve

Method:

1. Slice each chicken breast fillet in two, horizontally,through centre. One at a time, place each half on board, cover with plastic wrap and pat out using a rolling pin to 7.5mm thick. Dust with a little seasoned flour.
2. Heat half of oil in a frying pan on medium, and cook chicken in batches, for 2 minutes each side, until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Heat remaining oil in pan on low. Cook garlic for 1 minute, until fragrant and soft. add tomato and olives, season and simmer on medium heat for 8 minutes, Stirring occasionally, until thickened. Pour into a shallow baking dish and top with chicken.
4. Preheat a grill on high. Top each chicken piece with a slice of mozzarella. Grill for 3 minutes, until cheese melts. Top with a grinding of pepper and serve with salad or veg.

Lovely Fresh Strawberry

Enjoy Fresh Strawberry!

Tom yum soup with lime and white fish

Ingredients:

• 1 litre/1½pints water or light chicken stock
• 6 small sticks of lemongrass
• 12 lime leaves, torn in half (optional)
• 1 long red chilli, sliced
• 20g/1oz fresh root ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 20g/1oz palm sugar or light demerara
• 200g/7oz white fish, such as cod, skin and bone removed
• 50mls/1¾fl oz vegetable oil
• handful of picked coriander leaves handful of basil leaves
• 2 limes, halved

Method:

1. Pour the water or stock into a pan and add the lemon grass, torn lime leaves, chilli, ginger, fish sauce and sugar.

2. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

3. Cut the white fish into 1cm square cubes and drop into the broth.

4. Quickly heat a griddle or frying pan and rub the scallops with a little oil.

5. Carefully place scallops in the pan, and don't touch for three minutes, until you can see the scallops colouring around the edges.

6. Turn them over and cook for a further three minutes.

7. Distribute the coriander and basil among six little bowls. Squeeze a little lime juice over the top and pour in the soup.

8. Place a scallop in each bowl and garnish with a stick of lemongrass.

source: BBC.co.uk

Penne with Creamy Salmon and basil pesto

Very Easy, quick and delicious dinner for busy Mommy like me ^_^ i never really had enough time to prepare our dinner, so pasta is the best choice for me.

Ingredients :
(by: Titi)

• 1/2 pkt Penne pasta
• 150 ml thin cream
• 2 tbs bought basil pesto
• 2 Small can red salmon
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sauteed red capsicum
• Parsley for garnish

Method:

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain pasta
Meanwhile, combine cream, sauteed capsicum and pesto in a medium frying pan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Add pasta and salmon to the pesto mixture, and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Chilli Chicken

Roast lemon Chicken

Fresh from the oven

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

• 2 large lemons
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1kg chicken nibbles (see note)
• 600g pontiac potatoes, scrubbed, cut into wedges
• 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed
• 400g steamed green beans, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Juice 1 lemon.
2. Cut remaining lemon into wedges.
3. Combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, garlic, oil, chicken, potatoes and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Toss to combine. Arrange in a roasting pan.Place lemon wedges over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with rosemary.
5. Roast for 45 minutes or until chicken is golden and lemons slightly charred. Serve with steamed beans.

Notes & tips:

* If chicken nibbles (also known as drummettes) are not available, you can use 1kg chicken wings instead. Cut wings at both joints and discard wing tips.
* To reheat this dish, place chicken and potatoes on separate baking trays. Reheat (chicken on top shelf) in 180°C oven for 15 minutes.

SourceSuper Food Ideas - November 2006 , Page 67
Recipe by Michelle Noerianto