IRISH SODA BREAD

Irish soda bread is dough made with 3 cups of plain flour and 1 cup of wholemeal flour  ,1 tsp of salt , 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda mixed with 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk or unsweetened yoghurt . The dough is then shaped into a round loaf and baked in a heavy cast iron pot or casserole in an oven preheated to 200deg C and baked covered with a lid for 25 minutes , then the lid is removed and baked for a further 15 minutes till the bread colours golden brown .
Cool on a wire rack and break into wedges or slice.

 

QUINOA AND TUNA CARBONARA ....

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
 Prepare  your quinoa by adding 1/2 cup of quinoa to 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat and let simmer to all the water is absorbed .
Then add 1 large can of tuna to the quinoa along with 1 can of whole kernel corn .
mix together , set aside

 In a pan over a medium heat add 2 tbs of ghee , 1 chopped green capsicum , 1 chopped red capsicum , 1 red onion sliced , 1 garlic clove sliced ........cook until the onion has softened .

 Now add the vegetable mix to the tuna and quinoa .

Now as you are in rush to feed those hungry people in your house grab a  large store bought jar of carbonara sauce and stir through .

Then pour into a prepared casserole dish

Optional......

Then add a covering of tasty grated cheese to the top , season with cracked black pepper  and bake in a preheated oven ( 180 deg C ) till cheese is melted and golden 35 minutes .

QUINOA QUICHE

An easy , economical and nutritious meal and can be eaten hot or cold .

place !/2 cup of quinoa in a saucepan with 1 cup of water , simmer until all the water is absorbed .

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C .

Grease a baking dish .

Place quinoa in a medium bowl with 1 cup of whole kernel corn , 1 cup of peas ( thawed ), 1 medium green capsicum finely chopped , 1 medium red capsicum finely chopped , 1 dsp of minced garlic , 1 cup of tasty cheddar cheese and 1 dsp of Dijon mustard .

Lightly beat 3 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk and pour into the quinoa mix .

Lastly add 100gm of chopped bacon .

Mix until well combined .

 

Pour into your baking dish , place in the preheated oven and bake for 4 minutes , once the quiche starts to colour place a sheet of baking paper loosely over the top of the quiche and continue to cook .

Slice and serve as required , keep remaining leftovers in the refrigerator .

 

JELLY FRUIT AND QUINOA GRAVEL

Make lime jelly according to packet direction. Cool to tepid .

Place 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan along with 1/4 cup of tri coloured quinoa and a tsp of vanilla essence  , bring to the boil and simmer till all the water is absorbed , allow to cool .

Line a loaf pan with cooking spray and overlapping cling wrap .

Cover the base of the pan with the quinoa , and slowly pour over the cooled jelly .

Then add 16 whole grapes, 1 med banana sliced  and 10 strawberries sliced in 1/2

Make sure the bananas have been covered in jelly to prevent discolouration , as they may rise to the top ..

Refrigerate till set .

Lift the plastic to remove the fruit jelly , then simply inverted onto a flat surface and slice to serve .
Accompany with a quenelle of  ice cream , yoghurt or  thickened cream .

A WEEKEND WELL SPENT

GLUTEN FREE  GRAIN BREAD

BEEF LASAGNE

QUINOA COATED FRIED CHCKEN

BEEFAND CHIA SAUSAGE ROLLS

CONTINENTAL CHEESECAKE

JELLY FRUIT AND QUINOA GRAVEL

I`m so happy with this creation , the flavours and textures are the perfect combination
 

CASTLE GARDEN ...END OF WINTER 2016

Castle Garden has a spirit of its own , after a year of neglect by its present owner and carer over the years ...the garden is ready to bloom into green leaves and bursts of colour offered by nature from the strong faithful trees , shrubs and roses .
This weekend I pulled down the blinds and left the doors shut of my home and spent time in my beloved and neglected hot house .
I love my garden , and find all time spent in it very healing , I always have .
I have some horticultural knowledge and accredited with a certificate for the same .
It`s tomato time ....seedlings matured from seeds over 2 seasons ( late summer and winter early winter ) , only a tray this year but I happily spent some time in Bunning `s nursery and bought some Grosse Lisse and Mortgage Buster  seedlings .....along with  eggplant seedlings .
Spending the weekend potting up and my hands in the cool soil with Ziggy by my side ( well she was never far away ) has been a gift I should have afforded myself sooner.
I hope you enjoy the views of my garden as much as I did walking through it today .

 The garden beds haven`t been turned over for 2 years .... but I have layered the garden beds with pea straw ., this year I have a plan to produce good tomatoes in depleted soil ....
When I plant out in the 1st week of Nov 2016 , ( the end of our frosty mornings ) , I will share with you my plan .

Tomato seedlings ...

Tomato

 The egg plants hopefully I will share these with Nicole and Dale to add to their herb and veggie garden .

Orchids ....

The orchid ...

 Ziggy posed for this herself .....