First up, I’d just like to apologise – all my photos of the brownies are particularly bad! This was the best of a bad lot – obviously not a food styling night when I made these!
Full disclosure – I was sent this mix to try and (if I wanted to) review on the blog. I was not paid for my comments but the mix was provided free of charge. All opinions are my own.
I subscribed to Donna Hay magazine and I generally really enjoy her recipes. Most of the time they are simple but they focus on using real ingredients and I like to use them on weeknights when I’m a bit crunched for time.
So, when I was given the opportunity to try one of Donna Hay’s packet mixes I thought it was worth a try. As you probably realise from this blog, I don’t normally use packet mixes – most of the time I think it’s nearly as easy to start from scratch, and often quite a bit cheaper. However, I know plenty of people who use them and swear by them.
One of the first things I did when I got the package, was check out the ingredients list. I was pleasantly surprised -nothing too scary in there. Then I looked at the steps required – just add melted butter and eggs. Again, pretty straightforward.
So I melted my butter and cracked my eggs. I beat the mixture with my wooden spoon and then stirred in the chocolate chunks. My oven barely had time to pre-heat and I was spooning the batter into my greased tin (unfortunately, I couldn’t find my brownie pan and had to use my spring-form tin which may have affected my results).
40 or so minutes later (more like 30 in my super hot oven) and I pulled the brownies out to cool. Unfortunately they had become a bit hard and overcooked at the sides, so I cut the edges away once they cooled a bit.
I served the brownies with ice cream and I must confess I was pleasantly surprised. They were rich and dark, with delicious chunks of melted chocolate. They were still nicely gooey in the middle. As far as box mixes go, this was a winner.
I taste tested these on one of my best friends who gave them the thumbs up, and on J’s workmates, who ate them cold and still enjoyed them. This is definitely a sharing recipe – the brownies are really rich and best consumed in smaller quantities.
I probably won’t use this mix too often myself (like I said, I tend to make things from scratch), but I have no issues recommending it to people who use packet mixes.
Thanks to Donna Hay for the chance to try a new product!
Now, where is that treadmill?
Donna Hay’s Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownie mix is available online here, and from selected supermarkets.
Risotto in the pressure cooker? Worth a crack I thought! It probably wouldn’t have occurred to me at all if Not Quite Nigella hadn’t posted recently about her Bolognese Risotto. Only problem – I had chicken I needed to use instead! Not to worry, trusty Google to the rescue. I found this recipe, which I adapted based on what I had in the fridge at the time – here is my version.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Aborio rice
- 2.5 cups Chicken stock
- 1/2 cup White wine
- 250 grams Chicken thigh, loosely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Handful rocket
- dozen Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat the oil in the base of the pressure cooker.
- Brown the diced chicken on all sides and remove from cooker.
- Reduce heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir, coating well with the oil/onion/garlic mixture.
- Add the wine and allow to mostly evaporate whilst stirring.
- Add all the stock and the browned chicken.
- Stir, bring to a simmer.
- Close the lid on the pressure cooker and bring to pressure.
- Reduce the stove heat to low and put on the "low" pressure setting.
- Cook for 8 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure.
- Once released, open the lid and stir through grated cheese and butter.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and the rocket and stir through.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Brisbane has been going through a bit of a “cold snap” – I say that with a slight tinge of sarcasm as I’m well aware our 10* temperatures are hardly going to bring on hypothermia. That being said, I am a Queenslander and my skin is exceptionally thin when it comes to the cold. Of course, at this time of year I am drawn to the dark side – gone are the light salads and healthy (ish) food habits of summer – I want cheese, I was warmth and I tell myself that additional layer of fat helps me to conserve heat.
It is in this spirit that I give you this recipe for mushroom quiche, with all my love. A couple of minor changes – I cheated and used packaged puff pastry, and I pre-browned the mushrooms in some garlic, butter and parsley for extra flavour.
Don’t even try to kid yourself that it is healthy – it’s not. It is delicious though. Worth it for a special treat (or a Wednesday night, same difference).
I love Italian food. I have a newly discovered passion for seafood. Combine the two and I am one happy camper!
We were chatting with our B&B hosts in Launceston (from the lovely Kurrajong House) and of course I asked for recommendations for dinner. Novaro’s was the first place Julie mentioned and she kindly offered to make a booking for us.
We arrived at 6.30pm (we’re early eaters) and by 7 the restaurant was turning people away. I should add, it is quite cute and tiny, and it was a Wednesday night. The hostess knows Julie and provides lovely service, although it does drop off a bit after a large group arrives.
It’s our honeymoon, so of course we are trying not to be too concerned about money. The abalone is a novelty – neither J or I have ever tried it. It’s served as an entree, thinly sliced with mushrooms and butter on linguine. It adds a certain saltiness and texture to the dish, and the whole dish is tasty, but I must confess I don’t really see what all the hype is about. I would have been equally as happy with just mushrooms!
Our mains are fantastic – I have the prawn linguine and J has the seafood linguine. The sauces are slightly different – one more chilli based, one more garlic I think but both are buttery and rich. The seafood is fresh off the boat and generously portioned.
I feel we had dessert, but my memory is failing me and I can’t find any photographic evidence. I do remember some kind of complementary liqueur with the bill, which was a nice touch!
Novaro’s is a bit of a Launceston institution, and it’s easy to see why. They aren’t reinventing the wheel when it comes to Italian food, but they are doing traditional food well.
Novaro’s Italian Restaurant
28 Brisbane St
Launceston, Tas
Ph: 03 6334 5589
Web: www.novaros.com
I’ve had this book for ages and enjoyed the stories surrounding the recipes. However, this is the first time I have cooked from it. I love lentils, I love how the French prepare lentils and I love a good poached or fried egg (with a runny yolk!) so here is my take on Elizabeth Bard’s recipe. It makes a delicious, healthy, mid-week meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium Carrots, diced
- 4-5 small Shallots, diced
- 2.5 cups Puy lentils (dried)
- 6 cups CHicken stock
- 1 can Whole tomatoes (drained), chopped
- 1 cup Dry white wine
- Handful parsley chopped
- 1 Bay leaf
- Pepper and salt to taste
- Handful Cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions
- In a large saucepan or stockpot heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the shallots and carrot and saute for 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Add the lentils and then stir to coat with the oil.
- Add stock, tomatoes, wine, parsley, bay leaf and some pepper to taste.
- Simmer on a low heat with a lid slightly ajar until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (about 1 hour).
- Add in the cherry tomatoes in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
- Serve with a poached egg on top and a sprinkle of sea salt. I also highly recommend a glass of white wine and piece of bread on the side!
We are down to the last few meals from our portion of a cow from Bonnie Beef. I’ve been a bit stumped about what to do with our y-bone steak. I wanted something more than just a fried steak. Flicking through my Women’s Weekly “Pressure Cooking” cookbook I found a recipe for Hungarian Goulash. I handed the book and the steak to J and in just over half an hour this is what I got back! Having a husband who likes to cook is a definite advantage on those nights when I simply can’t be bothered (yes, I have those too!).
I believe J threw in the brussel sprouts at the same time as the capsicum.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Plain flour
- 800 grams Beef (I used y-bone) coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 medium BRown onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon Sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons Caraway seeds (I didn't have any so used cumin)
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1 Red capsicum, sliced thinly
- 1 cup Self-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 2/3 cup Milk
Directions
- Season flour in a large bowl and toss the pieces of beef to coat. Shake off any excess.
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons of the oil in the base of the pressure cooker. Cook the beef in batches until browned and then remove from cooker.
- Heat the remaining oil in the cooker and cook the onion on a medium heat, stirring, until soft.
- Add the garlic, paprika and 2 teaspoons of the caraway seeds (we didn't have any so we used cumin). Cook, stirring, until fragrant.
- Return the beef tot he cooker with the water combined with the tomato paste. Secure the lid.
- Bring the cooker to high pressure. Reduce heat to stabilise the pressure and cook on the "low" setting for 25 minutes.
- Release the pressure using the quick release button. Once the pressure has dissipated remove the lid.
- Add the capsicum, secure the lid again.
- Bring the cooker up to high pressure, reduce heat to stabilise pressure. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile make chive dumplings by combining sifted flour, chives and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and combine to make a soft dough.
- Release the pressure using the quick release button. Once the pressure has dissipated remove the lid. Season to taste.
- Bring the goulash to the boil on the stove top.
- Drop heaped tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into the goulash and sprinkle with the remaining seeds.
- Simmer, partly covered with the lid (not under pressure) for about 10 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through.
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First up, I’d just like to apologise – all my photos of the brownies are particularly bad! This was the best of a bad lot – obviously not a food styling night when I made these!
29.07.11 | 
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