Healthy Cheese Biscuits in 20 mins
I’ve been craving cheese sticks since having some homebaked ones at a friend’s house on Monday. I was a little piggy and finished the container! They were yummy, Cath! She told me how easy they were to make so it played on mind that I could whip some up quickly too.
So after dinner last night, I pulled out my trusty Edmonds Cookery Book and found a recipe for cheese biscuits. I modified it to make a healthier version and I think they’re delicious, even if I do say so myself. Haha… It was hard for us not to eat the whole batch all at once!
I’ve shared with you my version and I think it’s a good base recipe. I’m thinking that it might also work well with garlic powder and cheese or rosemeary and sea salt. I might try those next week. Happy baking!
Ingredients:
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of sea salt
pinch of ground paprika
25 g light margarine/ spread
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons skim milk, approximately
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Sift flour, icing sugar, baking powder, salt and paprika into a bowl.
- Cut butter into flour mixture and rub in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Mix in cheese.
- Add just enough milk to form a stiff dough.
- Knead lightly and roll out to 2mm thinkness.
- Cut into squares and place onto lined baking tray.
- Prick each square with a fork.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 mins or until lightly golden.
- Sprinkle biscuits with a pinch of sea salt. Eat when cool.
Makes 25.
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Easier-than-you-think Chawanmushi Recipe
Chawanmushi is a Japanese appetizer, served hot or cold. It is a savoury egg custard, steamed in a a small cup. Richard and I have talked about making this for years and we’ve assumed it must be hard to make. But we actually had all the ingredients for a simplified version. There are many variations to what actually goes in the egg custard. Some recipes call for chicken, fresh Japanese mushrooms, fish cakes, fresh fish etc. We just used what we had in the pantry.
It took us only 5-10 minutes to prepare and the chawanmushi took 15 minutes to steam. And before we knew it, we had scoffed down two cups each, burning our tongues in the process as we just wouldn’t wait for it to cool down. It was just so warm and sweet and salty at the same time. The soft texture of the egg custard and the chewiness of the shitake mushrooms complimented each other beautifully.
Adapted from this recipe and the sauce is from Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking cookbook (pg 26)
Serves 4
Ingredients for Savoury Steamed Egg Custards (Chawanmushi):
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup Campbell’s fish stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sake
10g dry shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 mins till soft, chopped
2 pak choy leaves, sliced into small pieces
2 stalks spring onion, chopped (garnish)
- Beat eggs gently, try not to get bubbles. Add stock, salt, soy sauce, sugar and sake. Mix well & strain through sieve.
- Divide mushrooms and pak choy into 4 small cups and pour egg mixture on top.
- Preheat a steamer on high heat (until water is boiling). Lower heat and place cups into steamer. Cover with tea towel and then with the lid. Steam for 15mins or until firm to touch.
Ingredients for the sauce:
A little granulated chicken stock powder
2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
- Dissolve stock powder with hot water. Add all other ingredients and mix well.
- When the chawan mushi is ready, pour a little sauce on each one and garnish with spring onion.
30th Birthday Chocolate Chip Muffins
I mentioned in my earlier carrot cake post that I was going to try out Melissa Goodsell’s choc chip muffins recipe. I did bake the muffins as planned but you would be surprised at what time I baked them.
I went on a big bushwalk on Saturday afternoon, came home and cooked roast chicken. By the time we had finished dinner, it was well after 8pm but I thought I’ll just whip these muffins up quickly. The birthday party was on Sunday and I didn’t want to have to rush around in the morning. Half an hour later, I was on the sofa sharing a freshly baked muffin with Richard! I knew it was going to be quick but 30 minutes! Wow! I was impressed! Washing up was just as easy. A bowl, a spoon and a measuring cup. The muffin tray just needed a wipe because I used muffin cases. It was too good to be true.
Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe from Melissa Goodsell
So I inspected the muffins. They looked good. I like the rich caramel colour and the sweet smell filled the entire house. The dark chocolate chips peaking through the top gave the hint of chocolatey goodness to come. The muffins whet my appetite visually.
I ripped a muffin in half and saw that the chocolate chips have melted inside them. I handed one half to Richard and I held the other. My first bite was a little unsure. It doesn’t seem to be as moist as the other muffins I’ve made. Then I took a second bite. I quickly forgot about the slight dryness and was instead reminded of how much I love caramel … and chocolate …. and of course, cake. Mmmm… I wanted more. But I couldn’t! I needed to bring the muffins to the birthday party the next day!
Exerting as much self-control as I could muster, I packed the muffins away for a night and revealed them to Richard’s family on Sunday. Those who had the muffins said they liked them. If only they knew how much nicer those chocolate chip muffins were straight out of the oven! The gastronomic experience was worlds apart.
Nonetheless, the birthday party went very well. It wasn’t all about the muffins. 
Everyone had fun celebrating my sister-in-law, Emma’s 30th. Richard’s dad brought a nice spread of seafood, roast chicken and salads. Uncle Kevin brought a yummy blackforest cake from The Cheesecake Shop. The day sort of ended with my nephew, Jackson, and my brother-in-law, James, in the pool together. We couldn’t walk into the backyard because they shot everyone with their water guns! I would have taken a photo but my camera would have gotten wet! It was a fun day. Happy 30th, Emma!
Related Posts:
White Chocolate Berry Muffin Recipe
Applesauce Muffins
Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni Recipe
- 200g cannelloni*
- 250g frozen spinach
- 250g low-fat ricotta cheese
- 500g low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 575g tomato pasta sauce*
- 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan or gruyere cheese
- 2 tbsp grated tasty cheese
- Cook cannelloni in salted boiling water for 4mins. Drain and set aside.
- Cook frozen spinach in a saucepan or microwave until just tender.
- Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius.
- Pour half of the pasta sauce into a shallow 2-litre oven-proof dish.
- Fill cannelloni with spinach mixture and place in dish.
- Pour the rest of the sauce on top of cannelloni and sprinkle with parmesan and tasty cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 mins or until pasta is tender.
Seves 4
* I use Barilla La Collezione Cannelloni and Leggo’s bolognese pasta sauce. You can use any of your favourites.
DOWNLOAD Print-friendly Recipe (PDF)
{ 4 comments }The Best Chicken Recipe EVER!
My mum tried a tandoori chicken recipe from her local Malay newspaper. She cooked the tandoori chicken for my picky family and knocked their socks off! My brothers claim that it was the best chicken they’ve ever had and after making it for myself, I just have to agree! It’s absolutely deliciousssss! And if you have can work a blender and put ingredients in a bowl, you can cook this – guranteed! Ok, I’ll stop yelling now… as long as you promise to try it for yourself!
Tandoori Chicken Recipe (pdf)
*Takes a deep breath*
Now, if you’re wondering what you can have for dessert that will help you wash down that really delicious chicken, here is a yummy Sultana Syrup Cake. The recipe is off the packet of Sunbeam sultanas. The cake itself is not too sweet but very moist. The orange syrup allows you to control the level of sweetness. And if you’re like me and don’t consume alcohol, I’ve substituted the white wine in the syrup with water and a few drops of orange essence.
Sultana Syrup Cake Recipe
By the way, did you know that the Sunbeam packet recommends you to keep sultanas refrigerated in an airtight container? I never knew that. Bon appetit!
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