Shrimp & black bean quesadillas

Ingredients

1. 200 g large raw prawns , from sustainable sources
2. 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4. 250 g mature cheddar cheese
5. 4 large flour tortillas
6. 400 g black beans
7. 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeños , plus extra to serve
8. 2 tablespoons coriander , plus extra to serve

Method:

In a small bowl, toss the prawns with the smoked paprika and some salt and pepper. Heat a small frying pan with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Sear the prawns for 1 minute each side. Remove, let cool and halve lengthways. Set aside. 

Spread half of the cheese over two tortillas. Drain the beans and roughly chop the jalapeños, then sprinkle over, along with the prawns. Finely chop the coriander, then divide between the tortillas, cover with the remaining cheese and top with the other tortillas. 

Divide the rest of the oil between two frying pans and place them over a low–medium heat. Brown the tortillas on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden, taking care not to let them burn. Turn them over and cook for 3 minutes. If the pan is looking a little dry, add another tiny drizzle of vegetable oil. 

Once the cheese has melted, remove the quesadillas from the pan and cut each one into six triangles. Serve straight away, topped with a dollop of sour cream and salsa, the pickled jalapeños and coriander leaves

Read More

Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing says comfort like a bowl of homemade chicken soup.

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 tbsp. olive oil
2. 2 carrots, sliced
3. 2 celery stalks, sliced
4. 1 small onion, chopped
5. 5 garlic cloves, chopped
6. Kosher salt
7. Freshly ground black pepper
8. 1/4 c. dry white wine
9. 8 c. chicken stock
10. 2 1/2 lb. bone-in, ­skinless chicken breast and thighs
11. 2 1/2 c. uncooked wide egg noodles
12. 3 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
13. 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
14. 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine and cook until syrupy, 1 minute. Add chicken stock and chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. 

Remove chicken; shred thighs with two forks and chop breasts into large bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot; discard bones.

Add noodles to soup and cook, stirring often, until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, dill, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Read More

Strawberry Bunnies and Carrots Cake

Transform strawberries into adorable bunnies and carrots for a festive and fun Easter dessert that everyone will be hopping to eat.

Ingredients Cake:

1. Nonstick cooking spray
2. One 15.25-ounce box chocolate cake mix (plus required ingredients)
3. One 16-ounce container chocolate frosting
4. One 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (about 3 cups)
5. Bunnies and Carrots:
6. 1/2 pound large strawberries (about 10)
7. 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
8. 2 teaspoons coconut oil
9. 1 teaspoon orange gel food coloring
10. 1 drop red standard food coloring
11. 10 mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
12. 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
13. 4 drops green standard food coloring

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the cake batter and bake according to the package directions using the prepared pan. Remove to a rack and let cool completely in the pan.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the cookies to resemble dirt. 

For the bunnies and carrots: Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut the stems off half of the strawberries. Divide the white chocolate evenly between into 2 medium microwave-safe bowls. Add the coconut oil and orange food coloring to one of the bowls. Microwave each separately in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is melted and silky smooth. 

For the carrots: Dip the strawberries with the stems into the orange chocolate, lifting and twisting to coat completely and letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Place the strawberries on their sides on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer the remaining orange chocolate into a small resealable plastic bag. Snip a very small piece from a corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate back and forth across the width of each carrot to create horizontal lines.  

For the bunnies: Dip the stemmed strawberries into the white chocolate, turning them with a fork to coat completely. Use the fork to scoop the fruit out of the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Place on the prepared baking sheet cut-side down. Refrigerate until hardened completely, about 30 minutes. Transfer all but 3 tablespoons of the remaining white chocolate to a small resealable plastic bag. Add the red food coloring to the reserved white chocolate in the bowl and stir until completely smooth and light pink, then transfer to another small resealable plastic bag. 

For the bunny ears: Snip a very small piece from a corner of the white and pink chocolate bags. Use the white chocolate to pipe 2-inch skinny hearts on the parchment that the strawberries are on. Pipe as many hearts as you have white strawberries. Fill in the hearts with the white chocolate. Pipe a small pink heart on each white heart to create the inner ears. While the chocolate is still wet, lay the pointy end of a white strawberry flat against the bottom point of a heart; this will be the ears on the bunny's head. Repeat with the remaining white strawberries and hearts. Pipe 2 tiny dots of white chocolate in the middle of each strawberry and adhere the mini chocolate chips for eyes. Use the pink chocolate to pipe a small nose beneath the eyes. Refrigerate until hardened completely, about 30 minutes. 

Stand the bunnies up and use the remaining white chocolate to pipe a bushy tail on the back of each. Refrigerate until hardened completely, about 30 minutes. 

For the grass: Meanwhile, combine the coconut and green food coloring in another small resealable plastic bag and shake until the coconut is green all over. Decorate the cake with the carrots, bunnies and green coconut grass. 

Read More

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, smashed2 tablespoons unsalted butter2 1/4 pounds Yellow Finn potatoes or other waxy-style potato2 cups half-and-half1 tablespoon kosher saltFreshly ground black pepperPinch nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the garlic around the inside of an 8 by 8 by 2-inch casserole dish and let it dry. Reserve the remaining garlic. Rub the butter around the inside of the dish. Reserve the remaining butter.

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes on a mandoline or vegetable slicer (about 1/8-inch-thick slices). 

In a medium saucepan, combine the garlic, butter, potatoes, half-and-half, salt, pepper to taste, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Shake the pan so the potatoes are distributed evenly. 

Bake the potatoes, basting occasionally, until lightly browned and bubbly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjooy

Read More