Home Made Sushi

Recipe and Images by Yasmin

I LOVE SUSHI! It is delicious! I could survive on sushi if I had to I love it that much. This is my own version of sushi. The best thing about sushi is the filling options are endless! I usually slice carrot, cucumber, avocado and ham to fill the centre of the sushi roll, but this time my sister enlightened me to the idea of an omlette filling, which is equally as yummy! When making sushi it is best to have a sushi mat to make rolling the sushi easier.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Sushi rice
• 1-2 packets of Nori Paper
• Cooked Omlette

Method:
Cook Sushi rice via instructions on the packet. Allow to cool completely. Put Nori paper on sushi mat and place 3-4 tablespoons of cooked rice along the width of the nori paper, 3cm in from the top of the nori to allow room to roll. Place thin strips of omlette on top of the rice. Roll the sushi. Slightly wet the end of the nori paper to stick to the rest of the roll. Slice into sushi pieces. Continue this process until all of the sushi rice has been used. Serve with soy sauce.

Zucchini Slice/Pie

Recipe and Images by Yasmin

This is a delicious snack or meal to serve. We ate this on Boxing Day 2011 with a group of friends along with many other small dishes which I will post at a later date. This slice is also great for pic-nics. Yum Yum!!!

Ingredients:

• 4 large zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 4 bacon rashers
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup SR Flour
• 1/4 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method:
Grate unpeeled zucchini, chop onion finely, chop bacon. Combine ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into greased flan or slice tin. Bake for 30-40 minutes in moderate oven.

Spiced Christmas Biscuits

Recipe from 'Woman's Weekly Christmas Entertaining'
Images by Yasmin

This biscuit is very similar to gingerbread biscuits in flavour except that it has a jam mixture between the two layers of biscuit. I thought it would be sickly sweet; however, it isn't even that sweet! It is a soothing taste of the traditional gingerbread spices which are complemented by the subtle taste of jam. Delicious! Revolutionary! The heart of Christmas!

Ingredients:
Biscuit:

• 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
• 3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 150g butter, chopped coarsely
• 1 egg yolk

Jam filling:

• 1 tsp gelatine
• 1 tblsp water
• 1/3 cup (110g) strawberry or raspberry jam

Icing:

• 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 cups (240g) pure icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method:
Process the flour, sugar, spices and butter until combined. Add egg yolk; process until combined. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Cover; refridgerate for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into quaters; roll ewach quater to 3mm thickness. Refridgerate with layers divided by baking paper.

Cut shapes (squares, angles, stars etc.) from refridgerated layers. Cut shapes from the centre of half the squares etc. Use the centre dough to make more biscuits. Place biscuits on trays; bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on trays.

For jam filling, using a bane marie process, sprinkle gelatine over water in the bane marie. Stir until dissolved. Add jam to gelatine mixture; stir well.

Turn base biscuits upside down so the flat side is facing up. Spread about 1 tsp of jam filling in the centre of each biscuit; top with the cut-out biscuits. Press lightly.

For icing, lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Beat in the sifted icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until combined. Stir in the juice. Keep surface of the icing tightly covered when not in use. Place the icing in a dispodable piping bag; snip a tiny amount from the tip of the bag. Drizzle the biscuits with icing; stand on wire racks until set.

Marshmallow Puddings

Recipe from 'Woman's Weekly Chrsitmas Entertaining'
Images by Yasmin

I know that I said I would never post chocolate recipes, but it is christmas and I thought why not post a chocolate recipe to get familar with the jolly season. This recipe is a modern day twist to the classical mini puddings. Instead of having some pudding smothered in chocolate, it is a marshmallow in the centre. It is very clever, and I'm sure it tastes nice. My sister made these for some family friends for christmas. Seasons Greetings!

Ingredients:

• 12 large Marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) milk chocolate melts, melted
• 1/4 cup (35g) white chocolate melts, melted
• coloured cachous or chopped cherries, to decorate

Method:
Line a large baking tray with baking paper. For each pudding, insert a toothprick in the top of a marshmallow. Place the marshmallow in milk chocolate. Using a teaspoon, coat the marshmallow in chocolate, leaving a small gap around the toothpick. Using a fork, lift the marshmallow from the chocolate, letting excess drip into bowl. Place on the prepared tray. Allow to set.

Remove toothpicks from marshmallows. Using a teaspoon, drizzle a little white chocolate over each marshmallow. Sprinkle with cachous or cherries. Allow to set.

Place each pudding in a small coloured patty pan (optional).

Vanilla Slice

Recipe from '100 Favourite Muffins and Slices'
Photo by Yasmin

Dear followers,
Sorry I haven't been blogging recently, I've been so caught up in school work and life - not having any time for myself. However, since it is the holidays, I will try to post as many delicious treats as possible - particularly Christmas Treats. First, however, I do owe my readers the long awaited recipe for Vanilla Slice. Personally, I don't like custard so this slice doesn't appeal to me, though I know you will enjoy it. I am told it is delicious! Merry Christmas and enjoy cooking my tasty treats!

Cheers,
Yasmin


Vanilla Slice

Ingredients:
Base:

• approx 200g flaky pastry

Filling:

• 1/2 cup vanilla custard powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tsp softened butter
• lemon juice or passionfruit pulp to mix

Method:
Heat oven to 190'C fanbake. Line the base and sides of a loose bottom square baking pan.

For base, roll the pastry out thinly to make two squares each about 2cm bigger than the pan. Prick the pastry evenly all over. Place the two pastry squares on an oven slide and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Trim the cooked squares of pastry to fit the loose-bottomed baking pan. Place on square in it.

For filling, mix the custard powder and the brown sugar together in a heavy bottomed, medium-sized saucepan. Add the milk and stir well until well combined but not foamy. Cook gently over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the custard thickens. Next, whisk in the beaten eggs, and the vanilla. Again, stir constantly until the custard thickens, then pour it evenly over the pastry in the baking pan. Cover the hot custard with the other pastry layer immediately. Refridgerate until cold.

For icing, put the icing sugar and butter in a bowl. Stir in small amounts of lemon juice or passionfruit pulp until you get icing of spreadable consistency. Ice the top layer of pastry and leave it to set. Cut into squares using a sharp knife.

Serve: from the refridgerator, with coffee or tea, or fo dessert. Store sqaures which are not eaten the day they are made in the refridgerator and eat within the next two days; if they last that long!!!