Cymbidium Orchid - Gowlings Gem 'Snow Queen'

This is one of the cymbidium orchids that one a first prize, first division at the Cymbidium Orchid Club of South Australia in June 2012.  This photo was shared on facebook and subsequently shared around the world.  The orchid is a fairly old breed, making a comeback.  I just loved it, so am sharing.

I said it wouldn't just be recipes ~ also some of my favourite things.

Jeanne’s Pumpkin Salad

½ Queensland Blue pumpkin (peeled and cut into smallish chunks)

1 x packet thin crispy bacon

1 x tin chick peas

1 x bunch of coriander

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup good olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

Bake pumpkin (I usually bake mine on baking paper with a drizzle of olive oil) – bake until just cooked so it doesn’t go mushy in the salad.

Use the same pan/s to bake bacon until crispy; tear into pieces when cool

Drain / wash / rinse chick peas well

Chop coriander

Combine above

Mix lemon juice, olive oil and garlic (dressing)

Only dress the salad when ready to serve.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

1½ cups SR flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

250g dark chocolate, chopped (I use eating not cooking chocolate)

125g butter

¼ cup cocoa

300ml sour cream

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

12 caramel filled chocolate Easter eggs or 2 packets of Rolos

¼ cup Cadbury Drinking Chocolate – sifted

Preheat oven 180°C

Line 12 x ⅓ cup sized hole muffin pan (large) with paper cases

Sift flour into large bowl

Mix in sugar (with hands)

Melt chocolate and butter

Stir in cocoa and cool for 5 minutes

Whisk sour cream, vanilla and eggs in a jug

Make a well in centre of dry ingredients

Stir in Chocolate and sour cream mixtures until just combined

Use folk and don’t over mix

Spoon batter into cases so each hole is ½ full

Press in Rolo or chocolate egg into centre of each

Spoon remaining mixture into each hole (approximately ⅔ full)

Bake (fan) 20+ minutes (depending on your oven)

Cool on wire rack

Dusk with drinking chocolate just before serving

I freeze in separate bags. 

Microwave for a couple of minutes until very warm (Rolo melted), serve with icecream and/or cream

Yummo!

Kids love ‘em!

The Jeanster’s Macadamia - Coconut Cookies

Regular or Gluten Free

2 x cups of SR flour

½ tsp of xanthan gum (if making gluten free version)

2 x cups coconut

1 x cup sugar

250g butter (real)

1 egg – very slightly beaten

2 handful’s of macadamia nuts + few extra for top of biscuits

Note:  biscuits can be gluten free ~ just use gluten free SR flour (available from health aisle of most supermarkets) and xanthan gum.

·      Wizz flour (food processor)

·      Slice butter, add to flour and wizz

·      Add coconut & sugar and wizz

·      Remove to large bowl

·      Wizz x 2 handfuls of macadamia – add to biscuit mixture

·      Add slightly beaten egg

·      Knead dough until smooth round ball

·      Cut in half

·      Shape into sausage like rolls (about the length of your baking tray)

·      Cut each roll into 16 slices

·      Put onto two baking trays covered with baking paper (allow room in-between biscuits as they will spread)

·      Put one macadamia onto top of each biscuit

·      Bake at 200°C for 12 minutes (not fan-forced)

·      Swap position of trays and cook for a further 4 minutes

Biscuits will be soft – let cool on tray before storing.

Going to post some of my best recipes ~ and perhaps some other interesting stuff.