Sally Costella's Blog

Carrot Cake

2012-02-19T15:38:00.000+11:00

2 1/2 self raising flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (or a little more!)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Icing
250gm cream cheese
half cup salted butter softened
1 Tbls lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 cups icing sugar

Pre-heat oven to 200 C. Grease and flour tin - I use a square 30cm tin

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugars.
Add butter, one egg and vanilla, blend with electric mixer on low speed - increase mixer speed and beat for two minutes.

Scrape down sides of bowl, add remaining eggs one at a time.

Add carrots, pineapple, raisins and walnuts - mix thoroughly.

It takes 60min+ to cook - test with skewer every 15 minutes after an hour to make sure cooked through.

Icing

Beat cream cheese and butter till smooth.
Add lemon juice and vanilla.
Add sugar gradually until smooth

Don't ice cake until it is cool!!!

Zucchini Soup

2012-01-08T20:43:00.000+11:00

1 Medium Onion Chopped
1 TBLS garlic
15gm Butter
2 TBLS Olive Oil
6 Medium Zucchini's Grated
8 Cups Water
2 TBLS Chicken Stock
2 tsp sugar
Juice from one Lemon - 2 to taste
1/3 cup fresh basil chopped

Stir onion/garlic in butter and oil until soft
Stir in Zucchini - simmer for 5 minutes
Add water and stock, sugar, lemon and basil
Cook for 20 minutes

When serving, garnish with a tsp of sour cream, basil and paprika

Variations of soup - add diced potato and chicken breast boil until cooked

Choc Orange Muffins

2011-08-16T18:17:00.000+10:00

175g Butter
175g Dark Chocolate
1 cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Orange - grated rind
1 cup Self Raising Flour
2 Tbs Cocoa

Preheat oven 180C
Prepare 12 paper muffin cases
Place butter and chocolate in microwave for 45 seconds take out and stir, repeat until melted
Add sugar and mix for a couple of minutes
Add eggs and rind to the mixture
Beat with wooden spoon until well combined
Sift flour and cocoa and fold into the mixture
Feel free to deocorate with a piece of orange
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes

Serve warm with cream

These also freeze well

Blueberry & Maple Syrup Muffins

2011-08-16T13:35:00.000+10:00

2 Cups self-raising flour, sifted - this also works well with Gluten Free Flour
1/2 cup Caster sugar
300gm Sour Cream
1 Egg
3Tbs Maple Flavoured Syrup
3Tbs Vegetable Oil
1 cup Blueberries or raspberries or a mixture of berries

Preheat oven to 180C
Sift Flour and sugar into a bowl
In another bowl, combine sour cream, egg, maple syrup, oil and blueberries
Combine wet and dry mixtures together
Spoon into greased muffin pans - makes 12 muffins
Cook in oven for 25 - 30 min

To serve - drizzle some maple syrup over muffin, and cream!!
If muffins have cooled - 30sec in the microwave is perfect

These muffins are fine to freeze too

Ma's Pumpkin Soup

2011-07-24T18:58:00.000+10:00

1 kg pumpkin - cut up
2 Tbs butter
3 tsp chicken stock
1 large onion de-skinned with cloves stuck into it
2 celery sticks
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
6 bayleaves
Melt butter - add all ingredients plus water
Put lid on saucepan and cook for 30- 40 minutes
Remove celery, onion/cloves and bay leaves
Blend, add some nutmeg and a drop of cherry

Veggie Casserole

2011-07-24T18:43:00.000+10:00

3 TBS olive oil
2 Spanish onions - diced
3 tsp garlic
1 large Zucchini - grated
1 green Capsicum - diced
2 red roasted capsicum - diced
6 sliced roasted eggplant - diced
1 can 800gm diced tomatos
1/2 tube of 'Gourmet Garden' Italian herbs
1 cup white wine
1 tsp powdered veggie stock
Black pepper
200gm sliced mushrooms
2 x 420gm cans butter beans
200 gm English Spinach

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan
Saute onion until soft - add garlic mix for 2 minutes
Mix in zucchini for 2 minutes
Add capsicum,eggplant, tomato, herbs, white wine, veggie stock and black pepper
Bring mixture to the boil
Add mushroom - simmer with lid on for a few minutes
Add butter beans
Add spinach - simmer again

Serve mixture with a side of Risotto, or Mash potato, or Roasted potato.
Also use the mix over the top of chicken breast put in baking dish and cook in oven
or serve on it's own with pine nuts & a dollop of yogurt (flavoured to taste with garlic & salt)

White Wine Risotto

2011-07-24T18:08:00.000+10:00

50gm butter - melted
1 large Spanish Onion - diced
Simmer onion till soft
1 tsp garlic - add to onion - simmer for a couple of more minutes
500g Arborio rice
Add rice - stir into butter mix for a couple of minutes
150mls white wine
Add white wine - keep mixing until rice has soaked it up
1.5 litres chicken stock - unless you are a vegetarian!!! Then use veggie stock.
Add chicken stock, a cup at a time, until rice has soaked up all of the stock, and is creamy
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
Mix in cheese until melted

Serve beside yummy veggie mix - or add mushrooms, etc to the mix

Recipe for Veggie Soup

2011-06-23T19:05:00.000+10:00

Use it as a meal, or a healthy gravy - why I love it. It fills me up and does not taste as healthy as it is!! It is based on the 'Start Up' diet soup seen on ACA.

Celery 1 Bunch - diced
Carrots 1kg - grated
Green Capsicum 3 - diced
Red Capsicum 3 - diced
Green Beans 500gms - frozen is fine
Spring Onion 1 bunch - sliced
French Onion Soup 2 packets - no brand is fine
Liquid Stock 1 litre- Beef, Chicken or Veggie, whatever your taste is - I use Beef
Diced Tomatos 2 cans 800gms each - if diced is not available whole tomato's can be diced at home!
Purred Tomato 1 bottle
Add water so veggies are floating

Boil ingredients, and let it simmer, 1 - 1.5 hours
Let it cool a little - then blend until smooth.

I put some in the fridge, and put the rest in the freezer. 3 Ladles per container in the freezer - which is enough for a meal.

If you want to spice it up - fry a little ginger, garlic & fresh chilli - and stir into soup if you have a cold.

As is tomato based -fresh basil is always going to be nice.

Apart from having some soy and linseed bread to dip into the soup - I put a couple of tables spoons of natural yoghurt, flavoured with garlic & salt to taste

Yummy as a gravy over baked, mashed or roasted potatoes - all tried and tested. Also great over broccoli and beans (I put a little lemon juice on my broccoli too)

I will add some photo's soon