Cook up with Donna Hay ~ Porcini and Mixed Mushroom Risotto ~Strawberry,Mascarpone and Almond Tray Tart ~ Chocolate Truffles

First of all a lovely welcome to Irina who has joined me in doing Cook Ups from Donna Hay magazine

We cook something from the latest issue of the magazine and then blog it.....easy peasy

Anyone can join so just drop me a line if you are interested

Menu from Issue 64 Aug/Sept 2012

Porcini and Mixed Mushroom Risotto ~very similar recipe over here

Strawberry, Mascarpone and Almond Tray Tart

Chocolate Butterscotch Truffles with Almond Praline

Salted Dark Chocolate Truffles......because I couldn't resist

Basic Chocolate Truffle recipe over here

The Risotto......you can't see the Mushrooms really well as I went a bit crazy with the Baby Spinach Leaves and Parmesan Cheese.......but wow, was it delicious

I used Porcini......Portobello......Swiss Brown and Baby Mushrooms

I used a Gluten Free Pastry from Rick's Pantry available at Coles

Salted Chocolate Truffles.....not as smooth looking as Donna's......but nice and salty

And the Butterscotch Truffles......delicious with a glass of Butterscotch Schnappes

A very, very tasty meal and a seal of approval for the Salted Chocolate from Mr Armchair

Till next time......Bon Appetit
~Dzintra~

~Vanilla Choc Chip Muffins~

Turns out Sunday morning here is turning out to be Muffin Morning

I love these gorgeous little cases and I have been using two at a time as they seem to lose colour if just used singly

Lately though I have started to use a plainer one on the inside and a pretty on the outside which means now they go twice as far

There are lots of ideas in this issue of Australian Good Food August 2011

This time I chose Vanilla Choc Chip

Instead of Caster Sugar I used Rapadura

it does leave the muffin a brownish colour but it does have some health benefits

The ones I bake don't seem to be as large as traditional one but then again I do use Gluten Free Flour Either way they are simply delicious

VANILLA CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

Oven 180c or 160c fan pre heated

Bake 18-20 m

~ 2 C Self Raising Gluten Free Flour

2/3 rapadura sugar (caster can also be used)

100g melted butter

1 egg

1 C milk

1t vanilla extract

2/3 C choc bits

~  Whisk flour, sugar, butter, egg, milk and vanilla in bowl until just combined

~ Fold through choc bits

~ Spoon into prepared pan

~ Bake till skewer comes out clean

There are quite a few variations so now I'll have to go slowly through them and come back here

Bon Appetit......Dzintra 

~Cook Up with Donna Hay (No 17) Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks with Paris Mash...and Mindy's Chocolate Mousse Tart~

Last week I did another Cook Up from the donna hay magazine Issue 63 June/July 2012

Menu was Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks with Paris Mash

I've never cooked Beef Cheeks before but they were oh so melt in the mouth tender...and cheap too!!!

Lovely thyme in the casserole...red wine...beef stock amongst other ingredients

The Parish Mash was sooooo smooth, creamy and silky

The pic above shows the dish without parsley

And we had freshly ground trio of peppercorns on ours!

We also enjoyed some Bodalla Dairy Sage and Saltbush cheese...

We all enjoy watching MasterChef  here and JoJo occassionally gets the magazine for me on one of her shopping programmes

This time I thought I would try Mindy's Chocolate Mousse Tart for Dessert

I used White Wings Gluten Free Flour for the pastry

Mr Armchair had seen this pack of Orgran Gluten Substitute and bought it for me

I've never made gluten free pastry so added the substitute to the flour and the result was that the pastry was not brittle and didn't break easily

Now I'll have to play around with it a little more

Orange Caramel on the Tart

I asked Mr Armchair to go out into the backyard (in the dark) and come back with a few mint leaves for the top as we had no basil...

He came back with Lemon Balm but hey, it still tasted good!!!

Served with Mascarpone

A delicious, delicious meal

and I don't know how Mindy made this Tart in the time allocated!!!!!!!!

Mindy's Chocolate Mousse Tart recipe over here

Irina has decided to join Vicki and I in doing a Cook Up from each issue of donna hay magazine

If anyone else would like to join us just let me know and I can put you up on my sidebar

No pressure......just cook something out of each issue and blog it!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

Cook Up with Donna Hay (No 16)

How I love doing a Cook Up With Vicki and Donna Hay!!!

The menu:  Creamy Cauliflower Soup from a previous Cook Up...

Recipe can be found in donna hay magazine Issue 51 June/July 2010

Beef, Oregano and Tomato Meatballs with Quinoa

Dark Chocolate and Ouzo Pots with Pomegranate Syrup

from Issue 62 April/May 2012

The soup...

The Quinoa...

I have eaten before but not cooked with it!!!

The verdict......absolutely delicious and we are going to have it more often around here now...

Full of calcium......Vitamins B & E......Iron and lots of other goodness... 

and the best, it's gluten free!!!

Basil thyme and oregano from our little herb patch...

The meatballs...

 The dish...

 Mr Armchair's contribution!!!

And the most delicious dessert......the chocolate and pomegranate!!!

I love pomegranates!!!

Bon Appetit......I hope everyone gets to have something nice to eat this weekend  

 ~Dzintra~

Congratulations Sylvia!

Congratulations Sylvia......

I entered the names for my little giveaway and shuffled them around and yours was the top one!!!

This magazine will be on its way to to you next week!!!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do......Happy Cooking......and Bon Appetit

Thank you gals for entering my little giveaway!!!

~Giveaway......Australian Good Food~

I have an extra copy of Australian Good Food magazine if anyone would like it...

I love this magazine...

all the recipes are very do-able......most of the ingredients are on hand...

Just leave a comment and I will do a draw on Friday this week!!!

Easy peasy...

Bon Appetit......Dzintra 

~ORANGE CAKE~

I love oranges...especially in cakes and biscuits...and even more so with chocolate....

Here's a lovely Orange Cake...

Found in this edition of The Australian Women's Weekly Old-fashioned Favourites

Very tasty and very mooorish!!!

Recipe to follow...and of course I used White Wings Gluten Free Self Raising Flour...

~ RECIPE ~

~  Preheat oven to 180c/160c fan forced

~ Grease deep 20cm round cake pan

~  150g butter, softened

~  1T finely grated orange rind

~ 2/3C (150g) caster sugar

~ 3 eggs

~ 1 and a 1/2C (225g) gluten free self raising flour

~ 1/4C (60ml) milk

~ 3/4C (120g) icing sugar

~ 1 and a 1/2T orange juice

~ Beat butter, rind, caster sugar, eggs, flour and milk in medium bowl with electric mixer at low speed until just combined.  Increase speed to medium, beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth

~ Spread mixture into pan:  bake about 40m.  

~ Stand cake 5 m;  turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool

~  Combine sifted icing sugar and juice in small bowl;  spread over cake

~ Can be stored in air-tight container for up to 4 days

The recipe can also be found over here on the Australian Womens Weekly site

Bon Appetit...Dzintra