Cheesy Sausage Balls

 (Picture is from Syrup and Biscuits)

I made these the other day and omg, they were good. I had never thought to make anything like these before, but apparently these sausage things are huge in the Southern states of USA. I came across the recipe from the blog Syrup and Biscuits. I highly recommend you go and check out this blog, there are very yummo stuff on there.

Now I changed the recipe a little bit as we don't have bisquick (baking mix) here in Australia. I felt that these could have been a bit better if I had added some creamed corn. Next time I will. If you are wanting the original recipe then click on the link above.

Ingredients:

1 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp bi-carb

1 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, optional

2 tbs soy sauce

1/2 cup of cauliflower and pumpkin breadcrumbs*

2 tbs milk

2 Italian herb sausages deskinned, uncooked

*CAULIFLOWER AND PUMPKIN BREADCRUMBS

Take half a head of cauliflower and half a pumpkin and place in a food processor. Wizz until you have the consistency of breadcrumbs. You can place what you don't use in the freezer for another time.

Method:

1) In a large bowl add your cheese, flour, bi-carb, salt, cayenne and mix well.

2) Add sausages, soy sauce, cauliflower and pumpkin bread crumbs and milk to flour and cheese mix. 

3) Stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

4) Make sure to spray your tray or put down grease proof paper. Then grab a small amount of mixture in your hands and roll into balls the size of walnuts. These don't spread too much, so you can place them 2.5cm apart then gently press down so they look a little like patties.

5) Place into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees C. These are going to be very hot so let them sit on the sheet for a few minutes before eating.

 These are quick and easy to do and they freeze well. Next time I would add some creamed corn to give it a sweet flavour. They are great for school lunch boxes as well, if they aren't eaten too quickly. Try them out and tell me what you think!!!

Peach and Strawberry Eggless Ice-Cream

I really wanted to make ice cream today. Only I was missing a few ingredients and I didn't want to go up to the shop to get them. What was I to do?? I could have waited (which I am not very good at doing) or I could go wild and make up a completely new and different recipe which I will now share with you.

I make ice cream a lot lately and I think that this one has been the best combination so far. I had no eggs and I can't handle a lot of milk products so I thought there must be a way to overcome these problems... and there was. Read on for one of the best ice cream recipes:

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup lactose free milk (or you can sub normal milk, soy milk, oat milk etc)

4 tsp Arrowroot powder

1 1/4 cup of silken tofu ( or you can sub whipped cream)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbs syrup (honey, maple or golden)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

2 cups sliced peaches

1 cup diced strawberries

Method:

To make tofu mixture

1)  Place silken tofu into a blender/food processor with a tsp of either sugar or syrup and wizz until the tofu is the consistancy of whipped cream. Place into a bowl and set aside in the fridge.

To make fruit mixture

1) Place peaches and strawberries into a blender/food processor and blend till you have a thick puree. Place into a bowl and set aside in the fridge.

To make the custard

1) Pour 3/4 cup of your milk into a bowl and mix in the arrowroot powder and mix to a paste. Set aside.

2) In a saucepan, mix remainder of both milks, sugar, salt, ground ginger, syrup and gently heat. 

3) When warm, add the arrowroot mixture and stir over a low heat till mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, pour into a metal bowl and place into the fridge till cold.

To make ice-cream

1) Take the custard, tofu and fruit out of the fridge. Set aside 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture and gently mix everything else together till thoroughly combined.

2) Place mixture into your ice-cream machine as per your machines instructions.

3) When it is the consistency of soft serve take out of the machine and place into a container. Layer the ice cream with the excess fruit mixture till you have filled the container.

4) Place into the freezer till it has set.

5) Enjoy :D

Let me know what you think!

I'm back!

Hi all,

Just wanted to apologise for my lengthy disappearance from this blog. I didn't even realise that it had been so long. I have cooked many a thing in the last 6 months and I just haven't had time to blog about it. Well the time has come to change that! I will endeavour to post a new recipe once a week for my loyal readers :D

Look out for some great recipes to come!

Tarran

Warm and Tasty Teriyaki Pork Buns

The other day I came across a recipe for Chinese Pork Buns. They looked so good that I wanted to try them straight away. Alas, this was not meant to be as I didn't have the ingredients for them. What I did have was the ingredients for Teriyaki Pork Buns, so I changed the recipe and went with what I had on hand.  I am so glad I did, as they were delicious - filling and hot when it was cold outside. You must try these and they are so easy to make!

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast into a bowl with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup of warm water. Leave in a warmish place till frothy. Sift 2 1/2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1 tablespoon of butter or oil (peanut is best) and yeast mixture. (I used my food processor and wizzed it up to form a dough or you can do it by hand if you don't have a FP)  Kneed dough approx 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let sit in a warm place until double the size. 

Mix 500g finely diced pork, 1 onion and 1/2 cup of finely diced broccoli in a fry pan and and cook until meat is cooked and onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of teriyaki sauce (you can buy this at any supermarket) and stir until combined and take off the heat.

Now for the buns, place the dough onto a floured surface and kneed for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 7-10 even pieces and roll each one into a circle. Place a teaspoon of the filling in each one. Gather the edges around the filling and twist at the top making sure it is secure. Then all that's left is to put your buns on a square of greaseproof paper and chuck them into a steamer for 10-15 minutes.

See, how easy is that! Not only can you make them with the above filling, but I also made some bolognese and cheese ones as well. Create any type of filling your heart desires and give them a go.

Please make these and enjoy.

Written by Tarran J

Book Review - Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I gave this book five stars because it was a very enthralling book. I loved the story of Agnes and I really wanted to find out what what actually happened that fateful night. If you are looking for a fast paced book then look elsewhere. The draw to this book is not the adventure but the gradual unveiling of the truth behind the murders. I loved how the family Agnes was placed with interacted with her. Hannah has written a beautiful book and captures the essence of this time and place. You just about feel the cold snow, smell the dung fires and fell your belly hunger from not eating.

Hannah has drawn from real life sources and while a few characters are fictional, most of these people existed and lived how Hannah described. A very interesting read and I couldn't put it down. I am very keen to read Hannah's next book when it is written and released.

View all my reviews

Collins Booksellers Edwardstown Online Store

My bookshop now has an online store. So many wonderful books and products are on there and will be added in the future.

Go check it out!

http://collins-booksellers-edwardstown.myshopify.com/

Garden Treasures

Garden Treasures 

There are so many things that we usually chuck out that we can recycle or upcycle again, especially in the garden. These are some of the things that I use in my veggie and herb gardens. 

1) Toilet roll inserts – Those seemingly useless rolls that get chucked away when we change the toilet roll are fantastic for protecting seedlings. Just cut a toilet roll in half and bury it half way where you are planting then just pop a few seeds in the roll and fill roll loosely with dirt.

2) Pop Sticks – Great for marking out what vegetables are what. Just write on the sticks (after you’ve washed them) and stick it in the ground.

3) 1lt Milk Cartons – These are great for the greenhouse. Cut a milk carton in half and put a few holes in the bottom. Fill with potting mix (or garden dirt) and plant your seeds. When seeds are ready to transplant to garden you can just cut the carton and voila. The top of the milk carton can be used like the toilet roll inserts.

4) Egg Cartons – These can also be used to help seedlings sprout and they have the added benefit of just tearing away and you can plant them in the garden without damaging the roots.

5) Old cans – Just clean cans and drill a few small holes in the bottom. These can be used for gardens that are small or apartments.

There are more things that can be recycled/upcycled, you just have to use your imagination and the world will be your gardening oyster.