Di-licious

From time to time I lose track of what's in the fruit bowl or vegetable crisper. Oranges go soft, beans sweat and grow fuzzy.... I feel guilty when I tos them into the compost. This morning I spied four forlorn apples languishing at the bottom of the bowl. Determined not to relegate them to the worms, I decided to turn them into muffins. There are a thousand or more muffin recipes out there and for me I prefer ones that use oil instead of butter. A dry muffin is a sad affair so you want to add moistness. In this case, yoghurt comes to the rescue. I also like my fruit to be soft in the muffin once its cooked so I actually pre-cook it in the microwave first. Just peel, dice, pop into a microwave safe container and cover with a lid or a folded piece of paper towel. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes until tender. You'll be amazed how much apple-ier they taste than had you used raw apple pieces. You could substitute the apple for chopped up plums or pears. RECIPE: Apple and...

I started collecting food magazines about fifteen years ago. I was obsessed with food, cooking and the ins and outs of the Australian food scene. Fast forward to late last year, the top shelf of Olive's wardrobe was groaning with back issues of Delicious, Donna Hay, Good Taste, Vogue Entertaining, Gourmet Traveller & Cuisine. They were organised by title and season so I could pull out a set of Autumnal issues in March and seek inspiration. But truth be told, less and less of the recipes grabbed my interest. I'm not interested in cheffy tricks and complicated processes anymore. Nowadays I'm looking for quick, simple recipes that get me through the week and stand up to being reheated when Mr Di-licious comes home late from work. Faced with the prospect of moving boxes and boxes of magazines that I hardly looked at anymore, I decided to get rid of them...but not before one last flick through in order to clip any recipes that still caught my eye. I ma...

My first stitching project. Embroidery is highly addictive - I stayed up to all hours to finish this one.  It's true I haven't posted for a while. Life has been busy - doesn't it always get like that? A couple of months as a working mum and I think I can almost say I've gotten the hang of it. I've had to rethink my approach to the week, how I cook, how I clean and how I carve out time for me. Inspired by my late Nanna, I've made craft my release valve to life. I've completed my first quilt, my first stitching project as well as making items for my CWA branch's upcoming craft stall. I still love cooking but craft has less calories... And I'm still blogging....it's just that sometimes I get a little distracted..... A mug warmer for my niece using some vintage buttons from my Nanna's stash. Making a bundle of tissue holders for my CWA Branch's upcoming craft stall. Great Teacher's Gifts! Last step of my fi...

"So what do you put in Olive's lunchbox?" my girlfriend asked me yesterday. It's something I get asked a lot. Generally its a small bread roll with vegemite or jam, a piece of fruit, maybe a cheese stick and something baked. Muffins make a regular appearance.  They're just so easy to whip up using whatever's lying around in the fruit bowl, pantry or freezer. Today's flavour combination came about from having some leftover almond meal from making Kransekake last week, the last of the bag of frozen berries and a container of cooked apple in the fridge. I've been cooking up apple a lot lately since Olive's teeth have gone wobbly. (The tooth fairy will be visiting again tonight.) Cooking it in the microwave is a breeze and means you have apple pieces as opposed to apple mush. Pop it in a container and throw in a spoon and your lunchbox is apple friendly again. Once the muffins are cool, wrap them up  in small freezer bags and toss the...

Every now and then you experiment in the kitchen and create something magical. This is one of those moments. I first whipped up these brownies for a BBQ to thank mates for helping shift a very heavy steel workbench. After a lot of beer and wine you don’t want a fussy dessert. It’s much better to have something that satisfies the sweet craving and can be eaten with fingers. I shared the recipe on the blog at the time and they were really popular. Then I accidently killed my blog and the recipe was lost... And then I lost the photos..... This weekend I'm catching up with friends, one of whom has been begging me to re-share the recipe on the new Di-licious blog. So Sandy, this one's for you. This brownie is a bit different from regular brownies in that there’s no melted chocolate in the batter, just some chocolate chips.  And raspberries. I used white chocolate chips because that’s what I had in the pantry. You could easily substitute ...

Wintery weather has finally lashed itself over Melbourne and I just want to snuggle up in front of the fire with a big bowl of warm, comforting soup. I try to make a big pot of soup every week. Not only is it economical, a bowl of lentil-laden goodness is filling and healthy too. Soups are also a great way to use up the half or near empty jars of spice pastes you have languishing around in your fridge. The harissa paste was almost empty and a perfect match for the sad little capsicums rolling around in the crisper drawer. You could mix and match with whatever you have in your fridge (although I must say the harissa gives a nice hint of heat without blowing your socks off!) The rest of the ingredients are basic pantry staples - tinned tomatoes, tinned corn and lentils. This makes a very thick, almost stew like consistency soup (which we love). If you prefer a thinner consistency, use an extra 2 cups of stock or water. Or why not leave it thick and turn it into a Mexican su...

This is my go to recipe whenever I get asked to bring a dessert but I'm pressed for time. The basic brownie mix is so easy to whip up and can be as posh or simple as you want them to be.  Dress them up with perfect raspberries, a drizzle of chocolate glaze or ganache or a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Or better still, simply dust them with icing sugar. Serve them up as dessert canapé at a posh soirée. Bring them along to a morning tea or take it to your friend’s house for dessert next time you get invited for dinner. It's also a great beginner's recipe for young learning cooks. The first time I cooked them I was disappointed because they looked so flat in the pan.  “They’re too small!” I wailed to Mr Di-licious. That was until I picked up my little round cutter, cut one out and tasted it – absolute perfection! And then there is the matter of the little cook’s treat you’re left with after cutting out the brownies – brownie corners! Pop t...