Creating

I may not have much talent with the crochet, quilting or knitting like a lot of you gals...but one thing that I do like creating is food. I see something I would like to try and make and then figure out a way of making it.
Because the post children body is no where near what it should look like, I try and cut out the extra sugary baking treats...or try and tweak them to make as great tasting but slightly healthier. Which is why I love the "Healthy Food Guide Magazine and website". Have you ever tried their website? It has a great database of all their recipes with the calories worked out. Best of all it is a NZ website....so you know we have all the ingredients at the local supermarket.  It also has a selection of recipes that are gluten free, low GI, low cost and vegetarian etc.


HFG Chocolate Brownie

Their latest magazine cover had their most favourite recipe of all time...chocolate brownie (recipe). It is made with apple sauce as the base instead of the copious amounts of butter and sugar and eggs that are in the regular recipe. I just happened to have bit of stewed apples that my MIL had prepared for me from her orchard... so bonus!

HFG Chocolate Brownie

While it wasn't as chocolaty as the regular brownie...it was still a nice treat. Unfortunately I didn't have any walnuts, but substituted them with macadamia nuts. The kids were none the wiser and gobbled them up! It was a winner at a dessert night I took them to also. The top had a nice crunch while the centre was super moist.  Will definitely try this one again.

Lemon Slice

I had a bunch of lemons in the fruit bowl and decided to make some lemon slice. I wasnt following a particular recipe...I just had an idea of how I wanted it to look and taste and made it up as I went along.
I went with a shortbread type base...a lemony/condensed milk filling and a sprinkle of coconut over the top.
It didn't quite turn out as gooey as I had hoped...I had used the light version of the condensed milk...and whole eggs..instead of just the yolk. It still tasted great...and again the kids loved it. I'll try this one again...tweaking the the ingredients a little until I get it right.

Lemon and coconut Slice

Cannelloni 

You may remember we bought our selves a pasta maker...and when we have few extra hours(!) up our sleeve for dinner we give it a go. It takes us a while to make our pasta sheets from scratch. 

I had an idea to give cannelloni a try. The filling was made out of spinach, onion, salami, garlic, and ricotta cheese.  Pasta is thinly rolled and is then cut into rectangles, filled and rolled. 

The rolls are placed on top of a tomato pasata (pureed tomato and herb), and then have a bechamel (cheese) sauce over the top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.  Baked until all golden and cooked.  

Overall it was quite a nice dish...but it lacked seasoning...more salt and more pepper.

 It was a fun dish to make....but next time I'll find a meatier filling with a bit more kick.  

filling

hubby rolling

Place into oven dish with a layer of tomato underneath.
Then a layer of tomato over the top.

delicious cheesy goodness.

My new camera is getting a work out with these lovely food shots. Looking through them makes me want to make them all over again!
Nothing like getting in the kitchen next to a warm oven and making some delicious food.