MINI SPINACH AND PINE NUT PIES

MINI SPINACH AND PINE NUT PIE

I cheated and used bought puff pastry for these, but you can make your own home made pastry if you have time. The filling was a delicious mix of chopped spinach, pine nuts, cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs. I cut the pastry in to small squares and sliced each corner of the square - you place the filling in the middle, then wrap the edges up and around the filling...making a beautiful rose shaped pie. You can fill these pies with so many things...

try pumpkin and pine nut, butter beans and cheese etc, etc.  

BEAUTIFUL CREAMY SWISS CHARD ON RYE TOAST

BEAUTIFUL CREAMY SWISS CHARD ON RYE TOAST

Make a simple white sauce with 50g butter or marge, 50g corn flour and 450g milk. Meanwhile chop Swiss chard and lightly cook in a little olive oil until tender. Mix the Swiss chard through the white sauce and serve on toast. I have plenty left over so I am busy adding other yummy vegetables and will make a pasta bake.

Apple and Nectarine Tarte Tartin

Apple and Nectarine Tarte Tartin

This sort of pie is my favorite last minute dessert. Melt butter in a pan (one with metal handles so that it can go in the oven) and add sliced fruit and a few tablespoons of brown sugar, let it bubble and go a little bit brown. Meanwhile make a simple pastry with butter, flour and ice cold water. Roll in to a roundish shape. Place the pastry over the fruit, poke a hole in the middle and bake in the oven until the pastry is golden brown. When you are ready to serve your tart, place a plate over the pan and

flipsy-flopsy the pan over....if you are lucky, it will turn out looking most impressive.

Serve with ice cream if you like!  

HBF Run For A Reason

Started training for the HBF Run for a reason...

all money going to the fantastic work of The Smith Family :)

Thank you to my friends and family for your support :)

http://hbfrunfundraising.com.au/susan_schofield

http://hbfrunfundraising.com.au/susan_schofield

BEAUTIFUL BEETROOT

BEAUTIFUL BEETROOT

Thanks to my darling friend Val for another delicious dinner last night! Check out this stunning starter of beautiful beetroot and fresh salad greens on a garlic infused ciabatta drizzled with a totally tasty dressing. Val...you rock in the kitchen!

MIXED HERB AND CASHEW PESTO

MIXED HERB AND CASHEW PESTO

100g Unique Organique Raw Crunchy Cashews

3 cups fresh mixed herbs - I used Basil, Parsley and Mint

1/2 a teaspoon sea salt

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 a cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

The above ingredients are for the Vegan version, Vegetarians may want to add 100g hard cheese.

Blitz all ingredients in a food processor or smash up in a mortar and pestle. Delicious served as a dip or mix through piping hot spaghetti.

Check out http://www.uniqueorganique.com.au/activated-nutsnseeds.php for the cashews.

FANTASTIC FRESH FIGS

Figs are such a delight, on their own, in a tart, on top of ice cream, or in a salad. I teamed these delicious fresh figs with crunchy cos lettuce, pears, goats cheese and activated pecans, I made a slightly sweet dressing with lemon juice, a dash of maple syrup and flax seed oil. On the subject of activated pecans.... check out the amazing products by http://www.uniqueorganique.com.au/ their products are changing my life, one bite at a time!

TROPICAL FRUIT PLATE ANYONE?

Okay, I will admit, this is not one of my creations - it was served for dessert after a delicious meal in Koh Samui, Thaliand. I simply wanted to add it to this blog because it reminded me that we don't need to spend all day baking calorie full sticky date pudding to impress our guests at dinner parties...a carefully prepared and presented tropical fruit plate will do just fine!

YUMMY FRUIT AND VEG MARKETS IN PERTH

I think it is really important to buy local, everyone who knows me, knows that I am "at the market" every Saturday morning. In recent years, a number of great farmers markets have opened.

Below are links to some great places to try:

http://www.mtclaremontfarmersmarket.com.au/

http://perthcityfarm.org.au/

http://subifarmersmarket.com.au/

http://www.midlandfarmersmarket.com.au/

I will add more as I make my way around them. Happy shopping and healthy eating everyone!

TEMPEH, FETA AND MINT SALAD WITH MARINATED CUCUMBERS

Armed with delicious fresh mostly organic ingredients from

http://www.mtclaremontfarmersmarket.com.au/

I made this salad. Basically add some mint in to your lettuce mix, add some tomatoes, feta, spring onions and chopped tempeh (my favorite tempeh is Tallyho Farm Organic Tempeh). Finish the salad with marinated cucumbers and your favorite home made dressing.

Marinated Cucumbers are simple, peel and slice a fat cucumber and marinate in white wine vinegar with a little salt and pepper.