Cook Up with Donna Hay (No 16)

How I love doing a Cook Up With Vicki and Donna Hay!!!

The menu:  Creamy Cauliflower Soup from a previous Cook Up...

Recipe can be found in donna hay magazine Issue 51 June/July 2010

Beef, Oregano and Tomato Meatballs with Quinoa

Dark Chocolate and Ouzo Pots with Pomegranate Syrup

from Issue 62 April/May 2012

The soup...

The Quinoa...

I have eaten before but not cooked with it!!!

The verdict......absolutely delicious and we are going to have it more often around here now...

Full of calcium......Vitamins B & E......Iron and lots of other goodness... 

and the best, it's gluten free!!!

Basil thyme and oregano from our little herb patch...

The meatballs...

 The dish...

 Mr Armchair's contribution!!!

And the most delicious dessert......the chocolate and pomegranate!!!

I love pomegranates!!!

Bon Appetit......I hope everyone gets to have something nice to eat this weekend  

 ~Dzintra~

Tomato and Basil Soup...

With the last of the summer tomatoes a couple of weeks ago I made a Tomato and Basil Soup... 

from this fabulous Donna Hay magazine...

full of great easy things to make and with lots of the ingredients already here in the cupboards...

And not too much work as I still don't have full movement of my arm...

Our Basil as well...

Recipe is under and I adapted it from the magazine...

Cheat's Tomato, Basil and Bread Soup

~ 2t vegetable oil

~1 brown onion, finely chopped

~ 2 cloves garlic, crushed

~ 400g can whole tomatoes

~ 410g tomato puree

~ 2t granulated sugar

~ 2C chicken or vegetable stock

~ 1/4 C roughly chopped basil leaves

~ sea salt and black pepper

~ 2 thick slices Italian style bread, crust removed, torn into large pieces

~ shaved Parmesan Cheese to serve

~Heat a large deep frying pan over high heat

~ Add oil, onion and garlic and cook for 2 m or until onion is softened

~ Break up whole tomatoes with fork and add to the pan with the puree, sugar and stock

~ Allow to simmer for 5 m or until the soup thickens slightly

~ Stir through the basil, salt, pepper and bread

~To serve, ladle into bowls and top with the Parmesan

Serves 2

Without the Parmesan...

And with the Parmesan...Easy Peasy!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Pumpkin Soup!!!

 About a month ago our Daughter gave us a couple of pumpkins...

good timing as I had not made any Pumpkin Soup this season!!!

Collect some fresh parsley from our abundant little parsley pot...

Quickly fry up some onion, a bay leaf, garlic cloves, all spice...

some potatoes...and whatever else you fancy...

And in no time...Pumpkin Soup in a cup for JoJo...

together with some pizza fingers for her and Mr Dolce Vita...

Soup in a bowl for us...salt and freshly milled pepper...a dollop of cream or yougurt...parsley for colour...delicious!!!

A quinoa garlic roll for me (gluten free)...

Thank you Jacqueline!!!

Recipe adapted from one of Australia's favourite Chefs...Stephanie Alexander...The Cook's Companion

Pumpkin and Bacon Soup

500g bacon bones (optional)

1 onion, sliced

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

1t whole all spice

3L cold water (I used stock)

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1T paprika

1k pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks

salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 fresh chorizo sausages (optional)

• Place bacon bones, onion, bay leaf, garlic and allspice in a large stockpot and add water
• Bring slowly to a boil and simmer for 2 hours
• Strain, pressing well on debris
• Add potato, parprika and pumpkin and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are collapsing
• Puree, holding back some liquid, and adjust seasoning
• Cook sausages ina frying pan over moderate heat until well browned and cooked through
• Cool a little and cut into small pieces
• Divide the sausage between heated soup bowls, then ladle in the soup

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Lemon and Broccoli Soup

Recently I saw over at Vickis-bit-o-earth that she was going to pick some broccoli from her abundant Californian garden and turn it into soup...Vicki's post is over here...I immediately enquired of her the recipe and she said it was a Donna Hay one...I tried it and what an absolute treat it was!!!

Vicki and I regularly do a cook up from Donna Hay magazines and blog about it...

anyone can come and join us...it's simple, just cook something from the magazine and then blog it!!!

Thank you so much for the heads up on this Vicki...I loved it!!!

English Spinach...

Sauteing leek...

Adding the leek to the broccoli...

I recently saw this bread mix and though I'd try it to have with the soup...

Using the dough hook...

in the oven...

Sliced into...texture is quite different to 'normal' bread as it is gluten free...

Not too long to wait...and the soup is absolutely delicious!!!

This soup is one of my Winter favourites...perfect with a glass of red!!!

For the recipe go over here...

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

TAFE - The Mantle Restaurant 28 October 2009

Hello to all my readers and welcome in 2010!!!

I'm still in 2009 here with this course...just a couple of more posts remaining for the year and my course will be over!!!

The photos are taken on the run here in the College Training Kitchen/Restaurant...

the pics here are a bit blurry but thought I had better put them in as a record of my course...

Above is the whiteboard and the meals Chef has chosen for today...

I am on Dessert tonight and have been allocated the Lemon Cheesecake...

But first here's a little look at part of the TAFE pantry shelves...
thought I'd grab this opportunity as I had my phone on me!!!

Celery being prepared...

Lemons for the Cheesecake...

Toasted sliced breadstick...

And just for fun...plates to be used have to be chosen...washed, dried and stacked ready for service...

Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup...this was absolutely delicious...
I think due to the pumpkin being roasted beforehand!!!

A firm favourite...
Homemade Pork Boudin on Rocket Salad...

Chicken and Avocado Salad...

Tournedos of Chicken Chasseur...

Atlantic Salmon Cutlet on Mashed Potatoes...

Braised Lamb Shanks...

Lemon Cheesecake...

Meringue with Fresh Fruits...

Oh so blurry...Raspberry Bavarois...

Creme Caramel...

Blurry...Petit Fours...

Now it's back to Queen of the Armchair for me...Bon Appetit everybody, Dzintra