Wagon Wheel Slice!

Well we all know the yumminess that is a Wagon Wheel!! So when I was looking for some lunchbox treats for my kids to take to school this week and found a recipe for Wagon Wheel Slices........Let's just say that I was a wee bit excited!! 

The slices were so scrummy I have decided to share the recipe with you all so you can enjoy them just as much as I did!! It was sooo easy to make but the presentation was a bit frustrating. I wanted them to look like they did on the recipe so much and all was going well until the dreaded top layer of chocolate but don't let that put you off.....even with it's non perfect chocolate layer......these are devine!! (but i will master that chocolate layer one day). 

Wagon Wheel Slice

prep: 20minutes

Cook: 30 minutes (plus cooling time) 

235g butter, softened

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 and 1/2 cups plain flour

1/3 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup raspberry jam

145g white marshmallows, halved

185g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees/160 fan forced. Grease a 3cm deep, 16cm x 26cm slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm from edge on all sides. 

2. Using an electric mixer, beat 185g butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flours over butter mixture. Stir until dough comes together. Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

3. Spread warm base with jam. Cover with marshmallows, cut-side down. Bake for 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Press down on marshmallows to level surface. Cool in tin. 

4. Combine chocolate and remaining butter in small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 2 - 3 minutes or until melted. Pour over marshmallows. Tap pan to level surface. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

Enjoy xx  

What's Cooking!

This week in my Palace we have some yummy looking recipes on the menu. I have never tried any of these recipes so i'm very excited!! And it is great that the kids will be cooking Tuesday's dish. I love watching them work together in the kitchen and learning new techniques and new foods!! It is amazing to watch.

One thing I love about blogs is all the new recipes you can find and that is why I love to share my meal plans with you. To inspire you all to try some different recipes and give you some ideas. I know I certainly find it hard every week to choose a meal plan and reading magazines like Super Food Ideas and Masterchef are really helpful along with blogs and family and friends recipes.

Food is great for getting the family together and sitting around the table to eat and share stories. So sit down with your kids and ask them to help out in your meal choices. Maybe even give them a chance to cook one or more of the meals. It really is fun and your setting them up with family traditions that they can pass on to their own families when they grow up!

Anyway enough about that!! Let's get on to some of the recipes I'll be cooking up this week:

Monday ~ Pork Roast with Potatoes, Fennel and Lemon Gravy

Tuesday ~ Crumbed Lamb Cutlets with Warm pumpkin Salad

Wednesday ~ Vietnamese Pork and Pineapple Noodles

Thursday ~ Maple Roasted Pumpkin and Chicken Salad

Desserts:

Wagon Wheel Slice

Cherry Cobbler

I have only done a menu this week up to Thursday because our kids are going away for the weekend so I need to go and find some recipes for 2!! to enjoy over the weekend!! 

If anybody has any suggestions feel free to let me know :D 

Liane xx  

Masterchef Style

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Well Masterchef has started back up on tv and this means pure excitement in my Palace!! as we all gather around the tv cheering on our favourite Masterchef contestants. I must say the biggest excitement for me is the Masterchef judges......yep I secretly love them! I think I could marry George! and Matt Preston just makes me smile the whole time! and Gary can annoy me sometimes but I must say I have a soft spot for him too.....I think it's that he always wears a suit and I love a man in a suit :P haha!

This year I think my favourite contestant would have to be Audra! so I am backing her all the way :D but some of the other contestants are growing on me too.....it must be so hard to be a judge! I certainly couldn't do it! The food this year is just looking amazing and is inspiring me to once again get back into the full swing of enjoying a creating some new dishes!! I had an old Masterchef magazine from last year laying around so yesterday I had a read and chosse one of the winter recipes! and my gosh it was amazing!! so I think i'll share the recipe with you all today.........

PORK AND VEAL MEAT LOAF WITH ROAST VEGETABLES
serves 4
Preperation: 20mins
Cooking time: 50 mins

350g pork mince

350g veal mince (I used beef mince as my butcher didn't have veal)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, peeled, grated

1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

1 tbs finely chopped sage

1 egg

                                             3 rashers bacon, rind removed, finely chopped

Roast Veg:

4 button squash 

8 baby truss tomatoes

8 baby (dutch) carrots, trimmed

2 tbs olive oil

  1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 14cm x 21cm loaf pan, then line the base and sides with Multix Bake.

2. Combine pork, veal, garlic, onion, carrot, breadcrumbs, 60ml (1/4 cup) barbeque sauce, sage and egg in a large bowl. Press mixture firmly into pan.

3. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Drain juices from pan, then invert meat loaf onto an oven tray lined with multix bake. Combine bacon and remaining barbeque sauce in a bowl, then spoon over meat loaf. Bake for 10 minutes or until bacon is cooked. Cover.

4. Meanwhile, combine veg and olive oil on an oven tray lined with Multix Bake, then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve with thick slices of meat loaf.

Now sit back with your family around the table and ENJOY :D 

Liane xxxxx