Cooking { Ginger Cookies }

In Fiji there was heaps and heaps of ginger...And I LOVE Ginger!!! Its great for nausea, for motion sickness and a great energy booster! In Fiji a pile like that would cost me AU$1. Now that super super cheap compared to the AU$30 something for a Kilo in Australia!! As that pile was about 250grms!!!
So you can imagine the PILES of Ginger we had on the boat, and it got time to start using it up; Ginger Everything!!!

Ginger Cookies:

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
•                                                                           1/4 cup molasses
•                                                                           2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

 

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. 

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes 

before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Store in an airtight container.

Now I don't actually have a photo of the finished product as I did not get to take a photo and they got eaten SO fast! So if you do try to make them (before I do again) and want to share your finished product photo do contact me!!
I love to hear how you all go cooking!

Cooking: When the Cupborads are Bare!

When the Cupboards are bare

We always keep instant noodles in our cupboards for when the fridge is getting empty and the cupboards are bare...They really also an easy meal to cook for when we are not feeling like cooking!
We used to resort to then on a weekly basis, that's when the wallet was low!

Now we all know how to cook instant noodles.
 But this is what I suggest you try adding to them to builk them up and make it a bit more of a meal:

-Curry powder for taste (cheap noodles have so little flavour I find)
-half a can of chick pea's.
-Some sliced carrot.
-Snow pea's.

well come to think of it, anything you like and have left over will work!!!

Sprinkle some Coriander and you have a yourself a cheap, easy meal for those needed times!!!

•  What do you add in your noodles?

In the Mood...For Baking!!!

  I have been is a crazy mood to bake...For the past few weeks Tullula and I have been making Muffin on Fridays, we usually have a play date in the afternoon so it has been a good excuse to make Muffins, but its also been great to then have then for the week ahead!

But I am a bit over muffins, I want so make something a bit more fancy, a bit more fun a bit more challenging!

Well I think I have met my challenge, one I was not aware would be so grand!

I got the Idea that it would be easy to make Macaroons, and that I was going to make some...Being I am French and all...But I quickly realised that being French was not enough to make them...Plus I needed a few more baking tools..But that's what shops are for, and that's why they are open till late during the week...

For us crazy woman in the need to bake, RIGHT NOW!!

Now my very first try I did, I did not take any photo's...way too embarrassing for that!!! They quickly went into the garbage bin...Yet, I was hooked...So Wednesday night at 7pm I set off to the shops, food colouring, flour siffer, piping bag and I was set to give it another try!!!

My batter looked great, thicker than the first time...I was exited!

I piped then onto the trays, I banged the air bubbles out...It was all looking good for me!

I put then in the oven, as a very low temperature, and the cooking starts...

The tray on the bottom started to burn, I had to pull them out, and they just went FLOP-FLAT...

I still had hope, the tray on the top was looking good, but they too seemed to have the bottom to go a bit dark, so I pulled them out as well!

They  did not flattened down, a good sign, but they also did not rise as much as they should of! At least I don't think so, and they seem to be raw inside!!!

Yes I was disappointed, but challenged as well and ready to give it another try!

But it was getting late, so I decided to just make my usual chocolate brownie, to stick with a recipe I knew how to make and trusted!!!

Well I guess it was getting late and I tired, first mistake, I made them with milk chocolate and not the usual dark chocolate! I thought minor mistake and not really important!

But I waited up until it was cooked, turned the oven off, and ........Left it in the oven!

Now we all know things continue to cook in a warm oven...Right??? I knew that, I know that...But I did it!

And yes this morning the cake was as hard as a brick wall!!!!

 

You know what, I was cool about it.

Its Ok, I can make another one...So I did as Stephen left to take Tullula to day care!

I was on top of this one...Timer and all ticking away, checking it in the oven, let it sit 10 min...

 And it was done, perfect to me, so I pulled it out the oven and sat in on the stove top...

Proud.

Off to finish packing my suitcase.

Then Stephen comes to see me with the baking paper in his hand and says; "The baking paper under your brownie's caught on fire, look at it its all burned"

I looked at it, what has he got in his hand?? did he pull that from under the brownie??? Yes it looks like it!

Hmmm...its all black and a huge burnt hole in the middle???

Confused...

What's going on????

It ticked in my head...

_ _ _ _ the stove top is on!!!

Yes, in my cooking frenzy I had left one on the hot plates on, and well sat my cake right on top of it!

Yes....Its burned on the bottom...Edible in some places...

 So I resolved to make Muffins...From this muffin cook book I got on an impulse buy for $5 at K-Mart!

They did not fail me...Ouf...Finally my baking fix has been eased!!! 

For now I shall let it take a rest, too much in my head with my holidays coming up tomorrow!

So I shall give it a rest and get back to it when I get back!

As I am not done trying to make Macaroons!

I have heard that they take practise and patience!!

The Little Things that Make me HaPPy

I Love my Pots and Pans!!!

I know that they truly are retro/vintage, and the truth is that I have bought them at Op Shops and also at the Saturday morning tip shop!

But hey, what can I say, that's what one has to do when one does not have heaps of money!!!

yet really I love them, and I makes me happy all that colour while I cook dinner!

This is part of "the little things that make me happy" project. Click here to see more of the little things that make me happy!

I Belive that there are many thinga round us that make us happy, yet we forget to see them, so once a month I try to open my eyes and see those things once more! 

Grab my button, and join me on the quest to see once again all those little things that make us happy!

CooKing- Dhal!

I just Love Dhal. I eat it with rice!
its one of those dishes that easy to do, quick and it can in the fridge for
lunches, accompany dinners of just a little hunger!
I do realise that not everyone is a fan of it! But I love it. So here is a simple way to cook it if you want to try!!!

Ingredients:

•             2 cups red lentils.                    
•             2 cloves.
•             1 meduin onion.
•             2 TSP ground cummin.
•             1/2 TSP cummin seeds.
•             1 TSP Tumeric.
•             3cm grated fresh ginger.
•             2 vegetable stock cubes.
•             1 cup of water. (you can add some more if needed)

Now lets get cooking!

1. Heat up 1 TBSP of oil in a large pan over meduin heat. 
2. Add the Onion and cook until a little soft.
3. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and spices.Stir well.
4. Cook for 1min or until aromatic! (and it really smells divine)
5. Add the lentils, vegetable stock and water.
6. Bring to boil then reduce heat and cook, covered for about 3Omin. Or until lentils are soft! This is when you will notice if you need to ad more water or not...depending of the consistency to want to have your dhal!

Now to change it up a bit, you can also:

•  add a can (400gr) of diced tomatoes instead of the water..You will still have to ad 1/2 cup of water!
• Add diced eggplant once lentils are soft. And cook for a further 20min or until eggplant is soft! 
• I gave also once added a couple of whole boiled egg's into it, and that realy made it into a meal! Especially with the Eggplant too!

I think you can add quite a few things to this dish! 
I hope to enjoy cooking it, and do let me know if you try it!

Cooking-Bacon and Carrot tartellets!

I really enjoy to cook, but I must admit that I suck at following receipt's!!! I really tend to cook best when I just invent something, and that's usually when we have not much left, or really when Stephen thinks we have Nothing left!!! But somehow I pull it together and have made some really good dishes...But Unfortunately most of those are going to be hard to document, as they just happen and then I'm never too sure what and how I did it!!!
So today I will just share a really simple and easy to make dish that came in a French pasty package!
I have made this many times, its great for Party's or for children!
And as i have already said, very easy to make, give it a try!!!!

Ingredients: Shortcrust pastry

                     200gr carrot's
                     50gr bacon
                     20gr slivered Almonds
                     20gr cheese (in France we would use Gruyere, 
                                               but here I just use tasty cheese)
                     1 or 2 Tablespoon Fresh heavy cream.
                     Salt and pepper!!!
 You will also need, Muffin Tray, Butter and Flour!
Step 1:  
Peal and dice carrots roughly. Put to boil in Pan with water until soft.

Step 2 :
Cut bacon into little squares and fry in dry pan...then also brown Almonds, set both aside!

Step 3 :
When carrot's are cooked, mash up in mixing bowl to a smooth mash consistency, ad salt and pepper to taste and add Heavy Cream.

Step 4 :

Preheat Oven to 180*, prepare Muffin trays with Shortcrust Pastry (prepare tray with butter and flour lining).
 

Step 5 :

Fill each muffin mould with carrot mash, then Almonds then bacon and cover with cheese. Place in oven for about 30 to 40 min...

And VOILA, its all done and its Délicieux!!! 

Do let me know if you have tried it and how you went!!! Also if there is anything that you did not understand in my directions, do contact me on my facebook and Il help you out!!!

TuesDay Tullula

She just loves to sit and watch me cook, so be it, if this is the way I am  going to get it done!

Pumpkin and Spinash Soup!

Tonight I have made some pumpkin and Spinach soup!
Its a real delight as so easy to make, so here we go, all to our kitchens...

Ingredients:

 1 Onion
150gr Butter
450gr Pumpkin
225gr Spinach
1 Large Tomato
500ml Water
2 cubes Vegetable stock
1tbsp Cumin
Fresh Corinder to garnish

To Make:
1: Chop up the onion, melt the butter and add Cumin and sauté the onion in large saucepan.
2: Dice the Pumpkin, shred the Spinach and roughly chop the  Tomatoe.
3: Add all the remaining the ingredients to the pan and bring to boil.
4:reduce the heat and cook until pumpkin is tender then  blend with blender, ad salt and pepper to taiste!
Trust me, it wont need it!
 Serve and garnish with a bit of fresh Coriander! 

Enjoy your soup!