Bacon Spinach Dip

Have you ever seen those dips in a hollowed-out loaf of bread? This is one of them - sounds great, so now I'm just looking for an excuse to make it!

Ingredients:
1 loaf bread with solid crust
Olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained
2 medium tomatoes, ripe & chopped

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Carve out center core of bread within one inch of bottom and sides, keeping bread intact.
Cut reserved bread horizontally into 1/2-inch layers.
3. Brush both sides of layers with olive oil. Use cookie cutters to cut bread layers into fun shapes; place on foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Brush inside of bowl lightly with olive oil.
5. Place bowl on separate baking sheet.
6. Bake bowls and bread shapes for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Blend mayo and sour cream together in a medium bowl. Add bacon and spinach; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
8. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes; salt and pepper to taste.
9. Transfer to bread bowl and serve with toasted bread shapes.

Black Olive Penguins

How cute are these little guys?! Perfect for entertaining. I found them on Pinterest - here's the original link.

Ingredients:
1 can (about 16) colossal pitted black olives, drained
16 (give or take) small pitted black olives, drained
about 4 ounces (1/2 of a standard 8 oz brick) of Cream Cheese- I like the 1/3 less fat Neufchatel here as it is softer and easier to stuff into the olives
16 thin slices (give or take) of the fat end of a peeled carrot
8 green onions, long green section only
16 (give or take) toothpicks

Method:
1. Cut a small triangular wedge out of each carrot slice.
2. Use a skewer or toothpick to push the narrow end of a carrot triangle through the wide hole of each small olive until it pokes out the narrow pitted hole.
3. Make a lengthwise slice halfway into each colossal olive. Gently hold the olive open and push as much cream cheese into the opening as you can, filling the olive. Use your fingers or a paper towel to tidy up along the edges of the opening.
4. Place a filled olive, large hole side down, on a carrot round, lining up the white of the cream cheese with the wedge cut from the carrot round. Use a toothpick pushed down through the center to hold the "chest" of the penguin to the "feet".
5. Push one head, "beak" side lined up with the "chest" and "feet" down onto the toothpicks.
6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Beer-Battered Tofu Sticks

These sound tasty - I doubt the rest of the family will eat them, being tofu and all, but I'll enjoy them!

Ingredients:

Tofu Sticks:
1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup beer (preferably ale)
1½ cups panko
1½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ rounded teaspoon black pepper
canola oil for the pan

Ranch Dressing:
1 cup imitation mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
1/3 cup imitation sour cream
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard

Method:
1. Drain tofu and wrap in a towel. Press excess water out of tofu by placing a couple of plates on top of it and allowing to sit for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the ranch dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
3. Cut tofu into ¾” wide sticks. Pat dry. In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour and beer until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together panko, salt, paprika and pepper.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Dip each tofu stick into the wet mixture, then the dry mixture, turning to coat all sides. Carefully place into preheated pan and fry until golden brown on all sides. Add additional oil if needed. Using a slotted spatula, remove the tofu sticks and place on a couple of paper towels to remove excess oil. Repeat until all tofu sticks have been prepared. Serve with ranch dressing.

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings

Yum! I'm thinking I might have to try this with squid rings as well...

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
salt to taste
olive oil baking spray

Method:
1. Place slices of onion in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the top and let them soak for about 1 - 2 hours, refrigerated.
2. Preheat oven to 230 degrees C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
3. Combine panko, bread crumbs and corn flakes and place half of the crumbs in a large dish, season with salt. Reserve the rest for when the first batch is used up. This should help avoid clumping and they should stick better to the onions.
4. Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Pepperoni Pizza Monkeybread

This looks too good not to include a photo - I'm definitely going to be trying it out, and soon!

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp butter
2 lbs pizza dough
6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (you'll need ~48 pieces)
48 slices of Turkey pepperoni (from 1 package)
2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Method:
1. Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.
2. Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.
3. Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten (a kitchen scale makes this very easy). Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.
4. Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.
5. Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan (I dabbed the pizza balls on a butter-dipped silicon brush to keep butter use low - there will be 1+ Tbsp leftover - and my hands butter free. Buttery hands make it hard to get the pizza balls to seal).
6. Repeat until all of the dough is used.
7. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.
8. Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.
9. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
10.Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Barbecue-Flavoured Popcorn

I don't know if this really sounds like it appeals, but I'm willing to give it a go!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popping corn

Method:
1. Combine paprika, oregano, thyme, onion salt and half the oil in a bowl.
2. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of popping corn. Oil is hot enough when corn turns slowly in a circle.
3. Add remaining corn. Cover pan tightly. Shake pan when corn starts popping. Remove from heat when corn stops popping. Transfer popcorn to a bowl. Discard unpopped corn. Add paprika mixture. Toss to combine. Cool.

Bacon- Wrapped Scallops with Spicy Cilantro-Mayonnaise

Apparently these make a wonderful appetizer, but also are great to nibble as a light dinner. I think they'd be great for any meal, just quietly.

Ingredients:

Spicy- Cilantro Mayonnaise:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons ground chili paste
1 medium lime, juiced
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Scallops:
1 1/2 pounds scallops, rinsed and dried
3/4 to 1 pound thin sliced bacon (not center cut), strips cut in half crosswise
sea salt & freshly ground black pepperlarge lettuce leaves, for serving
lettuce leaves, for serving

Method:
1. Prepare the spicy cilantro mayo: In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, hot chili paste, lime juice and cilantro; stir well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Prepare the scallops: Preheat your oven broiler. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Wrap each scallop with a piece of bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. Place the bacon-wrapped scallops onto the prepared baking sheet and season them with salt and pepper. Cook them under the broiler for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through- turning once mid-way through.

3. To serve, line a large platter with lettuce leaves and place the bacon-wrapped scallops on top. Serve with a dish of the spicy mayonnaise for dipping.

Tips:
*The number of scallops this recipe will yield depends entirely on the size of your scallops. I like to use large scallops. They shrink a little bit during the broiling process, but they make a nice and hearty appetizer. Tiny scallops just aren't very exciting.
*Ground chili paste can usually be found in your market's Asian product's aisle (I used one called Sambal Oelek). If you have something similar- maybe another spicy sauce, try substituting that (just add a little at a time until you reach your desired level of heat).
*Make ahead tip: Make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate. Wrap all of your scallops and refrigerate, then just put them under the broiler when you're ready to serve!

Cheesy Vegetable Pikelets

Thse sound really good, and I'm sure they could be made with a variety of different vegetables - I'm thinking orange kumara and asparagus, perhaps? And some red capsicum chopped into it, too...

Ingredients:
1 small zucchini, coarsely grated
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 small carrot, grated
½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
½ cup self-raising flour
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup fat-reduced grated tasty cheese
olive oil cooking spray

Method:
1. Using your hands, squeeze moisture from zucchini. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, carrot and corn. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Set aside.
2. Sift flours into a large bowl. Add husks to bowl. Add buttermilk and egg. Whisk to combine. Add zucchini mixture and cheese. Stir to combine.
3. Spray pan with oil. Heat over medium heat. Using 1 heaped tablespoon per pikelet, cook 4 pikelets for 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn. Cook for 2 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Antipasto Platter

I love antipasto platters, so thought I'd just pop this recipe up here, so I know what to put on my platter, next time I make one.

Ingredients:
8 marinated artichokes
200g kalamata olives
16 slices chargrilled kumara (orange sweet potato)
24 slices chargrilled zucchini
280g jar chargrilled mushrooms, drained
150g semi-dried tomatoes
16 slices double smoked ham
16 slices mortadella
16 slices prosciutto
rocket leaves, to serve

Ingredients for garlic bread:
150g butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1 large French stick

Method:
1. Make garlic bread: Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine butter, garlic and basil in a bowl. Cut bread into 1.5cm-thick slices. Spread butter mixture on both sides of each slice. Wrap in foil. Place onto a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot.
2. Place artichokes, olives, kumara, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, ham, mortadella and prosciutto onto a large platter. Serve with rocket and hot bread.

Surimi Cucumber Cups

I made these for Christmas lunch, having found the recipe here - I did some changes from the recipe though - namely, no cream cheese (because I forgot to buy it!), extra sour cream, a lot more crab meat (surimi), dijonnaise mustard instead of brown mustard, and no tabasco. They were pretty tasty, too, I must say!

Ingredients:
3 long cucumbers
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup crab meat, excess water removed
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco or tapito)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp brown mustard
1 tbs minced green onion

Method:
1. Remove the peel from the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler.
2. Cut the cucumber into 2 inch slices.
3. Using a small melon baller, scoop out most of the inside. You want to leave the walls and a thick portion of the bottom intact.
4. In a bowl, combine the sour cream and the cream cheese with a fork until well combined.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
6. Fill each of the cucumber cups with the crab dip.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve within 2 hours of making.

Christmas Angels

This one's not a 'recipe' as such, but I wanted to save it here because it was such a hit with both the kids at Christmas time.

They're made from a marshmallow, a Malteser, white chocolate buttons, and melted white chocolate as glue. Super-easy to make, and went down an absolute treat with my boys.

I'm wondering what variations I can do on the angels, to make them less Christmassy, and more suitable for birthday parties, etc. Any thoughts?

Marshmallow

The lovely Christine from Pop-In makes the most delicious marshmallow, and she kindly shared her recipe with us - we've got a batch in the fridge setting now, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 Tbsp gelatine
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ - ½ tsp citric acid

Method:
1. Put the water in a large mixing bowl and dissolve the other ingredients in the water
2. Beat until thick and fluffy
3. Tip half the mixture into a baking dish lined with coconut
4. Colour the other half with a couple of drops of red food colouring
5. Pour on top of the first half
6. Put in the fridge to set
7. Coat with coconut when cut

Spinach, Feta and Caramalised Onion Tarts

These are absolutely divine, and perfect as fingerfood at a party.

Ingredients:

Caramelised Onions
2 onions, sliced
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp malt vinegar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Tart:
1 block savoury shortcrust pastry
200g crumbled feta
4 eggs
bunch spinach/silverbeet
1 cup milk

Method:
To make the caramalised onions - saute onions in oil until soft, add sugar and vinegars.  Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes until caramalised.
To make the tarts - roll out pastry and cut into circles to fit small/large muffin trays.  Mix spinach, feta and onions together, and put spoonfuls into cases.  Mix egg and milk together and pour into cases.  Bake at 180ºC for 12 minutes.

Rice Bubble Cake

This was always one of my favourites as a kid, and I still love it now. At least one of my boys does too (the second one hasn't tried it yet, as he's not a year old yet, and it has honey in it).

Ingredients:
125g butter
3 tsp sugar
2 heaped tsp honey
5 cups rice bubbles

Method:
1. Add butter, sugar and honey to a large saucepan (large enough to later add the rice bubbles) and melt over a medium heat.
2. Bring the mixture to the boil and allow it to turn over for about four minutes or until the mixture starts to turn brown.  Stir occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat and add the rice bubbles.  Stir well to evenly mix everything together.
4. Press the mixture into a lined tin and chill in the fridge until set.
5. Cut into pieces and enjoy!