Vegemite cheese straws

2 sheets puff pastry
1 tablespoon vegemite
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 220 C. Line oven tray with baking paper.

Spread one pastry sheet with half the vegemite then sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with remaining pastry sheet and spread vegemite and remaining cheese.

Cut pastry stack in half, place one stack on top of the other and press down firmly. Cut crossways into 24 strips. Twist each strip, pinching the ends to seal. Place on tray and bake 12 minutes.

Hot Spinach Dip

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup milk
6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Baguette slices, breadsticks, or crackers, for serving

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

2.Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.

3.In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

4.Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

Photo and recipe from Martha Stewart here

Onion Rings

Ingredients:


½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
30 saltine crackers
4 cups kettle-cooked potato chips
2 large yellow onions, sliced into 24 rings (½-inch thick rounds)
6 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

Adjust oven racks to lower- and upper-middle positions. Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Place ¼ cup of the flour in a shallow baking dish. Beat the egg and buttermilk together in a bowl. Whisk the remaining flour, cayenne, salt and pepper into the buttermilk mixture. Combine the saltines and potato chips together in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Place half of the crumb mixture in a second shallow baking dish; reserve the other half.

Working one at a time, dredge each onion ring in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the onion rings in the buttermilk mixture, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl, and then dredging in the crumb coating, turning to coat evenly. When the crumb mixture is low, add the reserved crumb mixture to the dish for dredging the remaining onion rings. Transfer the coated rings to a large plate or platter.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the oil onto each of 2 rimmed baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the oven and heat just until smoking, about 8 minutes. Tilt the heated sheets to coat evenly with the oil. Lay the onion rings out in a single layer on the oiled baking sheets. Bake, flipping the onion rings and rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined rack briefly before serving.

Recipe from here: http://annies-eats.net/

I'm going to try something new - making the recipe exactly as directed! This one looks so good I don't think I want to change a thing.

Pork Spring Rolls

1/2 KG ground pork (or one packet or pork sausages with the skins taken off)

1/2 head of cabbage finely shredded
2 carrots finely shredded using peeler
1 onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (corriander)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
12 (7 inch square) spring roll wrappers
4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).


2.Place pork in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from heat and drain.

3. Mix oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and chile sauce. Cook cabbage, carrot, and onion in sesame oil over low heat for 5 minutes until veggies are soft.

4. Combine pork and veggies with ginger, garlic, chili, oyster sauce and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix well.

4.Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl.

5.Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of spring roll wrappers. Roll wrappers around the mixture, folding edges inward to close. Moisten fingers in the cornstarch and water mixture, and brush wrapper seams to seal.

6.Arrange spring rolls in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Brush with vegetable oil. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, until hot and lightly browned. For crispier spring rolls, turn after 10 minutes,

Mozzarella Sticks

For the mozzarella sticks:


package of string cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups matzo meal or bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
salt
pepper

For the sauce:

28 oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced basil
1 tablespoon minced oregano
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:

For the mozzarella sticks:
Pour the eggs into a shallow bowl. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow bowl and stir in the spices. Dip each stick into the egg then the bread crumbs then into the egg and then the crumbs again. Arrange the double coated mozzarella sticks in a single layer on a tray or plate. Cover loosely in foil. Refrigerate one hour or until the sticks are very cold. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet. Fry 1-2 minutes on each side, turning once. If frying in batches, keep the sticks in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use them. If you have problems with cheese oozing out during the frying process, roll them in bread crumbs again prior to frying. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

For the sauce: While the mozzarella sticks are being refrigerated, start the sauce. Heat the olive in a saucepan. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and cook through.

Note: If you'd rather bake than fry, bake the sticks for 7 minutes in single layer on a baking sheet at

180C

Recipe and photo from here

Salsa Asada

•6 hatch chilis (or poblanos, jalapenos, whatever kind you like really)
•1 pound tomatillos
•1 large ripe avocado
•1/2 cup sour cream
•1 teaspoon cumin
•juice from a big juicy lime (or 2 smaller ones)
•1/2 cup rough chopped cilantro
•salt to taste
1.Grill (or broil or char over your gas flame) the chilis and the tomatillos on HIGH heat. The chilis should be blackened all over and the tomatillos should have some char but it's not necessary to blacken them completely.

2.When the chilis are black wrap them in a tea towel or a paper bag to cool and steam the skins off.

3.Peel the chilis Rough chop them and toss them in the food processor. Cut the tomatillos into quarters and remove the hard stem / core bit. Into the processor.

4.Peel the avocado and chop - into the processor along with a pinch of salt. Lime, cumin, sour cream and cilantro too.

Recipe from:Salsa Asada

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2 cups of plain flour (sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinammon
6 tbl butter or 4 tbl olive oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Splenda
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 to 3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of sour cream or vanilla yoghurt
60 grams dark chocolate bits

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Spray mini muffin tins (will make approx 32).Sift flour, mix with baking powder and cinamon. Set aside.Beat butter/oil, brown sugar, fake sugar and vanilla essence. Add eggs one at a time to this mixture and beat. Add flour mixture.Beat in bananas, sour cream (or yoghurt) and optional dark chocolate bits.Scoop mixture into muffin tins. Bake for around 15 minutes.

Spinach & Feta Scrolls

• Smear sun-dried tomato pesto all over a sheet of Puff Pastry, leaving a little gap at the top.
• Add lots of chopped up spinach and feta
• Put a little of water on the free edge of pastry, roll it up and join together the join to stop it springing open.
• Cut into pieces and arrange on a baking tray. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 175 °C or until brown.

Recipe from Beth at BabyMac: http://littlereginald.blogspot.com/

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

1 can of corn (drained)

1 can of black beans (drained)

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Light)

juice from 1 lime

1 tomato

1 small red onion or half of a medium (chopped)

Combine mayonnaise and lime juice in bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.

Recipe & photo from alishamarie83

Pizza Spirals

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
¼ cup (60ml) pizza sauce (or tomato paste)
¼ cup ham or mild salami, finely chopped
¼ cup mushrooms, finely chopped
¼ cup red or green capsicum finely chopped
½ - ¾ cup cheddar or mozzarella, grated

Preheat oven to 180°C. Use a knife to mark a 1½cm border down one edge of each sheet of pastry, making sure not to cut through the pastry. Spread the pizza sauce over the pastry, making sure not to spread it over the 1½cm border. If using tomato paste, you may like to add some chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, etc) or a small amount of dried herbs to add some ‘pizza flavour’. Combine the ham/salami, mushroom and capsicum in a small bowl and scatter the mix over the pizza sauce, then top with grated cheese. Roll the pastry into a log, starting at the side that is opposite the 1½ cm border. Using a sharp knife, cut ½cm off each end and discard. Slice the log into rounds, about 1-1½ cm thick. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Photo & recipe from http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=391622

Potstickers

1/2 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2/3 cup green onions
1/4 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Potsticker wrappers (they are small and round, you need about 30-40)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Mix raw pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, cabbage, and garlic in a bowl. We did not find in neccessary to run it through a food processor, we just mixed it by hand.Lay a potsticker wrapper on a flat, dry surface and put a Tbsp of mixture in the middle. Using your fingers, dampen the wrapper surrounding the filling and fold the dumpling, pressing the seams together.Add oil to a skillet over medium heat and add dumplings (we cooked about 12 at a time in our large skillet) Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover tightly until all the liquid cooks off. Flip when the dumplings are golden brown on one side. They will be done with they are slightly browned on both sides and a potsticker cut in half reveals no pink. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

recipe and photo from Two novice chefs, one tiny kitchen

Soft Pretzles

1/8 cup hot water
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/3 warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
4+ cups flour
Coarse kosher salt
Baking soda
Butter or shortening (to generously grease cookie sheets)

In a large bowl mix together hot water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the warm water and brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar dissolves. Slowly add 4 cups of flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour counter. Dip your hands into extra flour. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth. (Push it down and away from you with the palms of your hands, turning the dough as you work) Grease cookie sheets generously with butter or shortening. Sprinkle greased cookie sheet(s) with kosher salt. Preheat oven to 475. (It is very important that you grease the cookie sheets very well)

Using liquid measuring cup fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water, add 1 tbls baking soda. Divide the dough into equal sized pieces. Using the following 4 steps shape each dough ball into a pretzel shape...

1). Roll the dough into a rope 14" long and as thick as your thumb. Bend the dough into a U shape. (if you have trouble rolling the dough into a rope slightly wet your hands and try again).
2). Cross one end of the rope over the other one. The ropes should cross about three inches from the tips.
3). Twist the crossed ends, making a full turn. Fold the ends back, towards the middle of the U.
4). Open the ends slightly to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough firmly. Bring water into saucepan to a gentle boil (not to many bubbles) Use pancake turner to lower each pretzel into the saucepan. Count slowly to 30. Then lift the pretzel onto the greased and salted cookie sheet (shaking off excess water back into the saucepan). Repeat until all the pretzels are done. Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the pretzels and put them in preheated oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the pretzels are golden.

Variation Recipes:
Garlic Parmesan Pretzels
Add 4-6 cloves pressed garlic and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese into the liquid ingredients before adding the flour.

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pretzels Add 4-6 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp basil and 2 tsp parm cheese to the liquid ingredients before adding in the flour

Recipe notes:
* You can make the dough up to 24 hours in advance, just cover the bowl and store in refrigerator.
* These also freeze very well. Just pop them into the microwave for a few seconds to reheat.
* This recipe will yield 20-24 shaped pretzels depending on the size you make them.
*You can also make pretzel sticks with this recipe. Instead of rolling dough into pretzel shapes just roll into 2-3" long ropes a little thicker than your thumb.

recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights, obviously I love her blog.

Spicy Black Bean Dip

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
4 cloves minced garlic, separated
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz cream cheese
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
S&P to taste
Cheese for topping (I used monterey jack)

Saute corn and 2 cloves of garlic until the corn is slightly browned. Set aside to cool. Add 2 cloves garlic, beans, cream cheese, jalapeno and the seasonings into a food processor and process until smooth. Place 1/2 of bean mixture into bottom of serving dish, then 1/2 the corn; repeat with remaining beans and corn. Top with cheese, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

recipe and photo from Amber's Delectable Delights

Baked Mushrooms

Serves 4

• 8 large flat mushrooms
• a bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 250g Taleggio cheese, thinly sliced
• 2 thick slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs
• a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Lay the mushrooms on a large baking tray and sprinkle with the onions, garlic and thyme. Top the mushrooms with the slices of Taleggio. Toss together the breadcrumbs and the parsley and sprinkle over the mushrooms. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven until breadcrumbs are brown and the mushrooms are cooked through.
PS They’re great on toasted ciabatta too!

recipe from http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/veggies/baked_mushrooms

Oven Baked Monte Cristos

Serves: 6

4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp sugar (I usually leave this out)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
12 slices rye bread, lightly toasted
8 oz Gruyere cheese (or Swiss)
8 oz thinly sliced good quality ham
Non stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450F. Place a baking sheet with rim in the oven to heat. Whisk eggs, milk and sugar (if desired) in shallow bowl until well blended. Spread Dijon mustard on each slice of toast. Layer with cheese, ham and another slice of cheese. Remove baking sheet from oven, spray with non stick spray. Dip each sandwich into egg mixture, coating both sides and place on baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes.

Cheese Straws

I've only made these once with D's mom's help. I am not used to making pastry and needed some guidance, it's not easy to understand from a recipe if you've never done it before. At D's parent's house, the cheese straws usually come out at Christmas time and they are EXPENSIVE! So I tried making them. They aren't that hard and a lot cheaper to make rather than buy. I would try spicing these up more next time with either jalapenos in the mixture or more cayenne pepper or sprinkling them with paprika. Oh, and I never said these were healthy!

14 tbsp butter. room temperature
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus some for rolling
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

*Apparently the trick to pastry is incorporate the flour as quickly as possible into the butter. *

Put the butter in a bowl and cut to pieces using a knife. Quickly work the flour, cheese, Worcestershire, salt, and cayenne pepper into the butter by rubbing the mixture between your thumbs, middle and ring fingers, using only fingertips and being as gentle as possible. Lift it up high while doing this and let the mixture fall back into the bowl to incorporate air. Do this long enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few odd lumps here and there. Chill mixture for at least an hour.

Roll small amounts of dough into a long tube about the width of a straw and cut into desired lengths. Gently twist. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 300F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.