tastes like cardboard

White Chocolate Chai Cookies

White Chocolate Chai Cookies
makes about 2 dozen 

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup white sugar 
1 cup butter (softened at room temperature) 
1 egg, lightly beaten (egg should be at room temperature) 
1/4 cup chai concentrate
1 block of good quality white cooking chocolate

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) .

Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.Cut in butter and blend until mixture is crumbly.

With a fork, stir in lightly beaten egg, and chai concentrate. Blend well with fork, then your hands to ensure thorough blending. 

Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place on a greased baking tray and flatten slightly

Bake for 6 - 7 minutes, or until lightly brown. They can spread a lot

When thoroughly cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Vegetable Curry

When I was a kid, curry was made from a boxed meal starter with dehydrated apple bits and sultanas in it. Anything that was cooked in it turned into a browny, yellow goop. I was not a fan.  

Then I was introduced to real curry, fragrant and spicy. I was in love. 

Last night I took the plunge and made a veggie curry from scratch, it was well worth the effort. 

Vegetable Curry

Serves 2

2 teaspoons dried red chile pepper, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

6 smallish potatoes, cubed

1-2 cup chicken stock depending on how you like your curry

1/4 cup milk

1 small can tomato paste

olive oil

Combine chilli, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, garlic salt, nutmeg, and garam masala and set aside. 

Heat oil in pan, add onion. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add spice mix, cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.  Add tomato paste, milk and half a cup of stock and remaining vegetables.  Simmer until potatoes are tender, adding extra stock as needed.

Alternatively, the potatoes can be par boiled in advance and added in toward the end. 

Serve over rice. 

If you prefer a milder curry, stir in a spoonful of plain yoghurt before serving.

Tortellini Soup

I love soup. It is a steaming bowl of comfort that can help fix even the worst day.

Something I love as much as soup is a quick, easy, filling meal. This soup is just that. 

Torellini Soup

Serves 4

32oz Low-sodium/rediced fat Chicken Stock

1 package tortellini

Garlic

Bring the stock to a boil and add garlic and pasta. Cook pasta to direction and serve. 

This soup is incredibly versatile.

Add spinach and mushrooms for a heartier meal. 

Add chopped baby bok choy, ginger and a dash of soy for a quick and easy take on a won ton soup.

The possibilities are endless!

Cheese ‘steak’ sandwiches

I love stuffing portabello mushrooms with cheese and other goodies and making burgers, that was my plan for dinner tonight. Then I ran into some hurdles. 

I didn’t have burger buns, but I did have a baguette. The mushroom caps were broken, not at all good for stuffing. Portabellos are pretty meaty and can hold up to most flavours and then it hit me - cheese steaks!

I’ve never had a cheese steak, but this is how I’d imagine they’d taste.

Cheese ‘steak’ Sandwiches

Serves 2 (9 points)

2 Portabello Mushrooms, thickly sliced

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 medium baguette, cut into four sections

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Worcestershire sauce

Light cream cheese

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the mushrooms and onions. 

Heat the olive oil (about two turns around the pan) and add the mushrooms. Saute until tender, then add Worcestershire sauce to taste - I used about 3 tablespoons. Cook until reduced, approximately 5 minutes. 

Split each piece of baguette most of the way through. Smear with light cream cheese, top with raw red onion slices and cheese. 

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with a salad or home made over fries. 

Chocolate Mousse

I am lucky enough to be able to eat most things, meat, gluten, dairy etc. I have people in my life who aren’t so lucky and it is nice to find ways to make dishes that we all know and love that are suitable for these more sensitive systems.

My sister told me about a Vegan chocolate mousse she’d made and I just had to try it for myself.

Chocolate Mousse

Serves 6

1 package silken tofu

10 oz dark chocolate chips

3 tbsp maple syrup

Blend the tofu until smooth. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips over a low heat. Stir constantly. 

Add the maple syrup to the melted chocolate and combine.

Stir the chocolate mixture into the tofu and mix until creamy.

Pour into small serving dishes and chill for two hours or until set.