Buttercream Icing

Many of the recipes for buttercream icing (or buttercream frosting) use icing sugar, an ingredient I don't tend to keep in my pantry. So I was pleased when I came across this allrecipes Creamy Frosting Recipe that used white sugar.

Honey-Mustard Roast Chicken with Lemon Stuffing and Vegetables

Perfect family dinner for those cold Winter nights!

Hubby and I really enjoy our Sunday roasts if we have the time to prepare and cook. This roast chicken is probably the easiest and quickest of the roasts we enjoy, and there's always leftovers for another night. I throw all the vegetables into the roasting pan throughout and serve everything in the one pan.

Note: I use a Dutch oven on the stove top to cook my roast so the times and temperatures for the oven are based on the information provided in my cook books.

Hummus

Lately I have been very lazy when it comes to preparing our Turkish Feast. Working in the evening means little time for cooking so I had been buying a ‘four-pack’ of skinny dips.

Those four-packs no longer seem to be stocked in the supermarkets and buying individual packs has proved to be expensive and a waste of food because even small tubs are too much for just two of us. So I have started to make our own dips and hummus is a staple for our Turkish-inspired dinners.

Tomato, Chilli and Ginger Damper

Winter time and my thoughts turn to soups and breads.

Mustard and White Wine Vinegar Dressing for Oysters

I love oysters and always prepare them for special occasions and holidays. This is probably my favourite dressing and it's so quick and easy to prepare.

Christmas Ice Cream Pudding

Perfect for a hot, sunny Christmas day!

Years ago I cut out a recipe from the daily newspaper for a Christmas ice cream pudding that came from Iain "Huey" Hewitson's book Huey's Greatest Hits. Over the years I've modified the recipe to suit the tastes and dietary restrictions of my family. Even Huey has changed his recipe—the original recipe has double the quantities in his current ice cream pudding recipe.

Curry Laksa

This laksa is surprisingly quick to make. Replace the coconut milk with skim evaporated milk and coconut essence for a lower-fat version.

Banana and Blueberry Bread

Perfect for an afternoon snack.

This delicious moist banana bread is based on a vegan recipe, which I found when searching for a recipe to cater for my nephew's allergies. As a bonus it is low fat, although having a slice spread with butter probably negates that fact!

Low-Fat Chips

There are tons of recipes out there for low-fat chips and most use the oven, a standard technique for those of us who are counting calories.

Pumpkin Soup with Chilli and Ginger

Another variation on pumpkin soup!

Winter is here so I'm looking for soup recipes that are quick and easy to make. Pumpkin soup is obviously a favourite of ours and this version is not thick like the basic pumpkin soup or creamy like the pumpkin soup with chilli. I used less pumpkin to make a lighter soup—lighter in taste, texture and calories—yet still deliver a soup with a bit of a kick to warm the insides.

Turkey Patties

I love working with turkey mince—the meat is so light and is complemented by many different seasonings. We serve the turkey patties accompanied with salad and chips, or use them in turkey burgers. This post describes three types of seasonings that I characterise as French-, Italian- and Thai-style seasonings. The ‘French’-style patties are similar to the turkey patties I made in Melbourne.

Oysters Kilpatrick

Oysters are a special treat for Hubby and me—we order oysters whenever they appear on a restaurant menu and I will prepare them for special occasions. Oysters Kilpatrick is an old favourite.

No Mayo Potato Salad

Hubby is not a big fan of mayonnaise, a common ingredient in potato salad and one that can make the salad fattening. This is a lighter version without the mayonnaise.

Chilli and Lime Chicken Salad

Perfect for dinner on a hot summer night or as a late-night supper for those returning from an interstate trip!

I'm not sure which magazine I took this recipe from but it seems to be the same as the Chilli and Lime Chicken Salad recipe on the Australian Women's Weekly site. I changed the recipe to cater for Hubby's low sodium diet.

Apricot Balls

These little balls seem to be a favourite with Dads! They're easy to make and perfect as homemade gifts.

Creamy Tomato Soup

The Winter Solistice—it's cold, it's dark, it's time for soup! A creamy, spicy tomato soup entrances the senses and warms the body.

Turkey Patties with Apple Sauce

Hubby and I are currently on holidays and staying in a serviced apartment. Being away from home means adjusting my cooking style a little—I'm using fresher ingredients (none of these packaged herbs, spices and condiments) and fewer ingredients. These patties were simple to make and so delicious—we had two for our dinner and two were put away for another meal!

White Christmas

A quick and easy treat to make for the holidays!

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift? What about a plate of White Christmas—bite-sized squares of crunchy rice bubbles mixed with sweet delights.

Hubby was relating how his mother used to always make White Christmas at this time of the year so I decided to have a go. Searching the Web yielded lots of recipes for White Christmas. After taking bits and pieces from different recipes and a disastrous overly-sweet first batch, I ended up with this basic recipe and two batches that cater for the family's dietary restrictions: one low in potassium and another that is dairy-free and nut-free.

Guacamole

Guacamole is a Mexican avocado dip. This recipe was developed by a friend. You can vary the quantities of all the ingredients to suit your tastes. The recipe here does not include tomatoes or onions, which are usually part of a traditional guacamole.

Chinese Lamb Soup

Can you tell that it's unusually cold in Sydney at the moment? This is my fourth soup recipe in three months!