Kale with Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 bunch of Kale
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chilli (optional)

Method

• Rinse and dry Kale, remove stems and thinly slice. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl combine the water, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and chilli. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the kale for about 3 minutes. Keep stirring until leaves are wilted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish.
• Pour the sauce into the pan and set over a medium heat. Stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
• Pour over the kale and toss lightly to coat.

Classic Toll House Cookies

Ingredients

• 250g softened butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp of salt
• 375g pack of dark chocolate buds

Method

• Preheat oven to 190 celsius.
• In a large bowl, combine the butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
• Add eggs one at a time and stir them in.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the mixture and stir through.
• Add in dark chocolate buds and fold it all in.
• Scoop out about 1 tablespoon in size and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Press ball down to flatten (optional).
• Cook for 9 minutes then remove and allow to cool slightly before moving them to a cooling rack.
• Stored in an airtight container, these cookies can last several days.

Bon Appetit xoxo

Happy Australia Day Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp White sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• Assorted toppings;
  • Maple syrup, Honey, Jams etc.
  • Australia Day Special: Spread with Nutella and sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Method

• In a large bowl, Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the beaten egg, milk and oil. Mix well until smooth.
• Heat a lightly oiled non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour your desired amount of batter onto your frying pan. Cook until bubbles appear on surface. Flip carefully and serve.

 

The Best Pan Seared Lamb Cutlets

Ingredients

• 16 Lamb Cutlets
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp sea salt
• Pinch of Pepper
• 3 Cloves of garlic finely chopped
• I Diced Onion
• 1 small Chilli Finely chopped

Method

• Pound your Lamb with a meat mallet.
• In a bowl combine Garlic, Onion, Lemon, Olive Oil, Rosemary, Salt and Pepper.
• Give it a stir and add it to your lamb.
• The lamb cutlets can marinate up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.
• On a medium heat, Pan Fry the lamb for about 3 minutes on each side then set aside to rest for another 3 minutes.

 

Christmas Cookies

Cookie Ingredients

• 140g Icing Sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• 250g Butter
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 375g Flour

Icing Ingredients

• 235g Icing Sugar
• 1 Egg White
• 3 Tsp Cold Water

Method

• Mix together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and the egg yolk, setting the egg white aside for the icing.
• Cream together the mixture and add in the flour a little bit at a time until it forms a dough.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 190oC.
• Spread flour on the worktop and roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
• Using your christmas cookie cutters, cut out shapes and put them on a lined baking tray.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes until they are lightly golden brown.
• Carefully slide them off the tray and onto a cooling rack.
•  While your cookies are cooling down, mix the icing sugar with the egg white, and add a teaspoon at a time of cold water.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a thin nozzle, and pipe onto the cooled cookies.

The Liebster Award

Many thanks to Gee for nominating me for the Liebester Award. I have enjoyed reading your blog posts and I am truly honored to be receiving this nomination. You have made my day!

It is my pleasure to nominate:

Jodi
Nicola
VoguingVixen
Glitterfulthoughts
Magela
Simply Etta D
A kinder way
The basicx
Travels of a beauty addict
Love to review333
Lacquerfiend

My answers to Gee’s questions:

1. Where do you get your inspiration?  Family, music, food… I can go on and on
2. What is your pet peeve? People who think they’re better than others.
3. What’s your worst fear? None
4. What is your favourite film? Breakfast at Tiffany’s
5. What are your plans for 2016? Learning more about Graphic Design and blogging.
6. What are your life goals? Enjoying and living life to the fullest.
7. What do you do besides blogging? Being a mum/ wife/ Graphic designer
8. What’s your favourite food? This is the hardest question of them all…. Mum’s cooking anything from falafel to baklava.
9. If you could take one thing to a desert island what would it be? A compass or a knife
10. What’s your favourite book? The Gruffalo
11.  What countries have you visited? The middle East, Europe, Asia and parts of Africa.

My 11 random facts about me:

• I love TimTams
• I have one dimple
• 9 out of 10 times I will misspell definitely
• My favourite city is Tokyo
• I always watch comedies
• My name is Amel and it means Hope
• I love to paint
• I have a cat
• Im allergic to my cat
• I cant walk in high heels
• I have a beauty and lifestyle blog – Her Quarters –

My 11 questions to my nominees:

1. One word that describes you best?
2. Who is your dream dinner party guest?
3. What’s the first thing you see if you turn your head right?
4. What is your favourite food?
5. Cat or Dog?
6. Tea or coffee?
7. Arts or Science?
8. What do you like most about your country?
9. Where was your last, best vacation?
10. Greatest meal you have ever eaten?
11. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Thank you to everyone for reading and thanks to the inspiring bloggers that I have nominated.

Stuffed Vegtables | Mahshi

 

Ingredients

• 3 Zucchinis
• 3 Capsicums
• 3 Tomatoes
• 1 Onion chopped
• 500g Beef mince
• 1 Cup basmati rice
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Litre chicken stock
• 1/2 Cup chopped Parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped mint
• 2 Garlic cloves crushed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Nutmeg

Method

• Cut off the tops of the capsicums, remove the seeds and discard.
• Core the rest of the vegetables into the pot, leaving only a thin outer shell.
• In a medium sized bowl combine rice, mince, tomato paste, mint, parsley, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil and pinch of nutmeg.
• Fill the vegetables with the rice mixture.
• In a large, deep non-stick pot, arrange the stuffed vegetables facing upwards.
• Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables.
• Cook on high for 10 minutes then simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender when tested with the point of a knife.

Anzac Biscuits

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 125g unsalted butter
• 2 tbs honey
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Combine the flour, coconut, rolled oats and sugar into the mixer for 1 minute.
• Place the butter and honey in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute.
• Combine 3 tbsp of warm water and 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl.
• Add to the oat mixture along with the butter. Stir until well combined.
• Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the lined trays, allowing space for spreading.
• Gently press each ball to flatten slightly.
• Bake for 15 minutes for crisp biscuits.
• Set aside on the trays to cool completely.