Magical Magnetic Island

Here she comes FantaSea to carry us across Rowes Bay to Magnetic Island.
Driving onto a boat was a first time experience for us and the Patrol.
I love my Patrol. Look at her on the boat.
This is Jasmine she is an oil tanker we think.
Magnetic Island
Picnic Bay on Magnetic
Just beautiful.
The water is just so blue.
The main street at Horseshoe Bay.

Barefoot the Art Gallery and Restaurant.
This is where we stopped for lunch. Amazing atmosphere. So relaxed and so comfortable.
The artwork was stunning.

We had lunch on the back deck. Very tropical and comfy.

Great Bar.

David and I had the Eye Fillet, Rosella & Redwine Jus and Potato Rosti.

Simply Gorgeous :)

Maddy had the Tempura Battered Fish & Chips

Yummo!

Steve had the Oysters Kilpatrick.
Looked fantastic.

Ben had the Fettuccine Carbonara.

He said it was nowhere as good as mine.

Right answer Benny Boy.

Alex's Chips.

Now these were excellent chips.

Can you see the chip in mid flight?
Maddy's Ice Chocolate
This is the view on the drive back to the harbour. Stunning just stunning.

So comes the conclusion of our journey to Magnetic Island.

How beautiful is the water. See that mountain over there.

That's where we live.

It was a beautiful day, just stinking hot and humid. But you know that's the way it is in the Tropics!

Magnetic Island

I can see it from the beach and I have been hanging to go over there and today is the day. So wish me luck as we put the Patrol on a boat and go to the lovely island everyone raves about. I will take some photos and see you soon. Have a great Sunday!

Cheers Amelita

Here's one I stuffed up earlier. Chocolate Pudding.

I think I am having one of those malfunction brain meltdown days today. It started with the fact that I forgot to buy fruit for the chocolate fondue. Then it went to spilling stuff on the floor, on myself and basically any spare patch of clean kitchen anywhere. Ahhhhh Total malfunction. Yes, I to have my bad days in the kitchen and here's one I stuffed up earlier today. It was a simple recipe and I stuffed it. The top went to brown. The inside was not nearly cooked enough, even though it was just starting to burn on top. So what was a girl supposed to do. I jammed a big metal spoon into and gave it a quick fold around. Goeyness and sponge swirled around together. Then I popped it into the oven again for another 5 mins or so, then served with fresh cream. I won't tell you who's recipe I used. I don't think it was the recipe. It was me with a couple to many drinkys under my belty. It tasted good. It was rich, just not right, if you know what I mean.



Also I don't know whether this is a new product or not. But I have noticed, now that I do the majority of my shopping at Woolworths, that their select range has Creamy Tasmanian Butter. It's really good. I have been using it for my Hollandaise sauce recipe and other things. It's really great. Give it a whirl.

Warning

If you are going to drink and bake,

then your a bloody idiot.

Moroccan Chicken with Saffron Macadamia Rice & Passionfruit Yoghurt Sauce

As in a previous post I said that I was going to use more dried spices. This is one of my new recipes, inspired by my new spice range. I hope you all like it. David, Ben, Maddy and I loved it.

Ingredients

1. 4 cups of Arborio Rice
2. 500 mils of Chicken Stock
3. 1 cup of Water
4. Pinch of Saffron Strands
5. 1 scoop of Macadamia Nuts
6. 8 Chicken Thigh Fillets, no skin and no bones.
7. 1 Large 500 gram Tub of Natural Greek Style Yoghurt
8. 2 large Passionfruit or 4 small ones
9. 1 clove of Garlic finely chopped
10. Salt & Pepper
11. Moroccan Spice Mix, you can pick that up at any good Indian or Asian Grocer

Sprinkle the Moroccan spice mix all over the thigh fillets an hour before your ready to cook and allow to marinate covered in the fridge.

Your ready to cook. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees. Place your Macadamias in an oven proof dish and toast in the oven. Keep an eye on them you want them toasted, not burnt. I hate nuts with even little burnt bits on the edges. Grab your rice cooker, then add the rice, 500 mils of chicken stock, a cup of water, saffron strands, then give it a good stir, pop the lid on and set to cook.

On to the chicken. Fry the thigh fillets on medium to high heat in a fry pan with a little olive oil. Just browned on both sides. Then place them on an oven tray until they are all done. We are not looking for them to be completely cooked through as we are going to finish them off in the oven. Don't forget to check on your Macadamias. When they are toasted, pull them out and keep aside. Pop your thigh fillets in the oven and allow to cook for another 10 to 15 Min's in the oven.

Now for the sauce. I used about a 2 thirds of the tub of yogurt. Put the yogurt into a bowl and add the garlic. Drain the juices from the passionfruit through a fine sieve and add the juice to the yogurt, no pits please. Lastly a good pinch of salt, a good grind of pepper and mix well. Your done.

Lastly give your rice a good stir and add salt & pepper to taste, then stir through the macadamia nuts. By now your chicken fillets should be cooked through. To assemble, place a good mound of rice in the centre of the plate, top with 2 cooked chicken fillets and dollop with the passionfruit yogurt sauce. Heaven, I'm in heaven. I hope you all enjoy the new recipe I have created?

Cheers Amelita

P.S. Finally tomorrow you should get my chocolate fondue recipe. Yummo!

Perfect Pizza

When it comes to Pizza nothing beats homemade. We all would love to have one of those gorgeous wood fired ovens but most of us can only dream of having our own. The crispy bottom is what your looking for and what I was to. A couple of years ago I found and old but new Terracotta tile under my house. Hence I thought, what a great way to retain heat in the oven. So it began.

We start with a basic bread dough and I add 1 cup of Polenta or Cornmeal it's the same thing really. It adds a nice flavour through the dough. I also sprinkle it on my tile when it's hot to stop the pizza from sticking to the tile. Gives a nice texture to the crispy bottom of the pizza as well. I then preheat my oven to 210 degrees for a fan forced or 230 degrees for a non fan forced, making sure my tile is in the oven.

Take a piece of dough about the size of a cricket ball or a little bigger if you like. Roll it out into a circular shape as in the pictures above. The dough circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's rustic, that's a good sign it's homemade. Then we add a savoury chutney, spread it all over the bottom of the pizza base. These pizzas, I used a peach chutney, that I bought at the supermarket. Then I sprinkle a nice amount of grated mozzarella cheese. Not to much. Then add your desired toppings. Last but not least slices of baby boccini. The real stuff is much nicer on the top. Lots of stringiness. You can get it at the deli section of your supermarket.

For this pizza we have used cut up cooked skinless sausages, kallamatta olives, pineapple, some cabanossi and of course a sprinkling of chopped fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Transfer onto your tile at the last moment. Each pizza takes roughly 8 to 10 minutes till golden and crispy. They are a great hit for the kids because they can top their own and save you half the work ;)

You can pick up a Terracotta tile at any tile shop and it should only cost you a a few dollars. Alot cheaper than a pizza oven. This does the same job as any pizza place. The best thing is you get exactly what you want and what you paid for.

Chocolate Brownies

I want to introduce you to one of my favourite cookbooks ever.

Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Everything you need to know to cook today.

I bought it in the United States about 6 or so years ago. It's a beauty, for all of you who wonder what's what in the USA food culture. I make Sloppy Joe's, Smokey BBQ Sauce, Cornbread, Southern Fried Chicken, of course Brownies and lots, lots more.

This has to be the best Brownie recipe I have ever used. It simply beats the rest and anyone can do it. They are so delicious, so rich and so much chocolate. I made these with the girls today. I know they're good Brownies, when the kids are just hanging to lick the bowl. The taste explosion begins even before they are baked. Betty Crocker's recipe is a brilliant one and you should try it at home. This is a double batch recipe. So if you only want to make a half batch, just halve the ingredients.

The Ingredients

1. 230 grams Butter
2. 300 grams Dark Chocolate Buds
3. 3 and a half cups of Sugar
4. 4 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
5. 6 Eggs
6. 2 cups of Plain Flour
7. Icing Sugar to dust
   

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line large slice pan with Baking Paper. Not your normal small pan but one that is twice the size. You can use a roasting tray if you like. Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool for 5 minutes.

Beat sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in flour until just blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread in pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or just until Brownies begin to pull away from side of the pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Then dust with icing sugar generously. I cut off the edge pieces because I am a neat freak. But Dave and the kids have those bits polished off fairly quickly. Then cut into squares. I like to eat them with a big glass of ice cold milk.

So easy and they so add to your squishyness, but Who Cares?