Cooking Eating Storytelling
Beef and Broccoli Cannelloni is classic Italian dish … tasty bolognese sauce wrapped in sheets of pasta under a blanket of golden cheese. This is a dinner that really does appeal to the whole family. Plus it’s loaded with a whole head of broccoli!
Serving it with a salad dressed in a zingy dressing will balance out the richness of the bolognese and cheese.
Enjoy – Blondie 🙂
Spinach Saag with Handmade Paneer, Who doesn’t love Indian, especially when it’s so easy to make a feast of food to satisfy anyone.
As my family chooses to have at least one meat free day a week (part time flexitarians if I choose to hop onto a bandwagon) coming up with tasty, satisfying meals is always fun and inspiring.
What I find though, when doing a cuisine like Indian or asian food, I need to have several dishes – at least two curries with samosas or dumplings and condiments. When I cook with meat I seem to be happy to plate up just one bowl. I don’t know why that is but no one’s complaining 🙂
This spinach saag is creamy, spinachy and full of delicious spices, including my absolute favourite herb, fenugreek aka methi. The aroma is just insane… it gets added to most of my Indian meals. Add the golden panfried, handmade paneer and you have meal that will sit pride of place at the dinner table.
Enjoy with family and friends… Blondie
2 Cheese & Spinach Rolls, I love these sooo much that I make a big batch of them and freeze them for lunches. They work really well as a dinner also! Just leave them the full size rather than cutting them in half or thirds and serve with a crisp garden salad and a Balsamic Mustard Dressing.
Good eating… Blondie 
Gow Gee Silverbeet & Ricotta Ravioli – I have a soft spot for pasta, especially when it is filled with cheese & spinach / silverbeet!
Where possible I do try to make my own pasta dough but there are occasions when time is of the essence! It was a few years ago when talking to mum I found out that she sometimes makes pierogi (Polish dumplings) & other ravioli type things by using Gow Gee pastry. Gow Gee pastry can be found at your local Asian supermarket or grocery store in the fridge section.
So I am stealing her idea! Don’t get me wrong…absolutely nothing beats fresh home made pasta…but when you are pressed for time…this is almost just as good!
I serve this with my favourite creamy pink sauce…my question to you is…what is YOUR favourite pasta sauce?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Bella
Potato & Caramelised Fennel Gratin – This is a really simple dish that has so much flavour from just a few ingredients. It’s a side dish that can effortlessly outshine your hero ingredient. Comfort food made with love.
As my favourite part of the gratin is the golden, crunchy edges and top, so for this, I like to use a large dish, which means there is more surface area. This way everyone gets a perfect piece.
If you are rushed for time then a fantastic tip is to place the sliced potatoes into a saucepan and cover with seasoned milk. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook till tender, about 15 minutes. While they are cooking, caramalise the fennel. Alternate pouring some potatoes and scattering on some fennel and grated cheese into a prepared baking dish till all the components are in the baking dish. Season well, top with the remainder of the cheese and place under a grill till the top is golden and bubbly. What normally takes about an hour to cook will take a quarter of the time. This method is also great if you don’t want to use too much cheese. Just top the gratin with a light covering. The end result is still amazing.
Happy eating! – Blondie
Flaky, Cheesy Mushroom Puffs are perfect little mouthfuls of flaky pastry and creamy, savoury mushroom filling.
Although these were one of numerous canapés made specifically for my nana’s 90th Birthday party a couple of months ago; I will happily make finger food to freeze and serve with a glass of wine on the weekend or to reheat with a salad for lunch during the weekday.
These little morsels are sensational with their crispiness, creaminess and umami mushroom hit and most importantly can be eaten with one hand while you mingle and sip your way through the party.
When planning party food or canapés to serve to your guests, aim on having  about 8 per person. A mix of hot and cold foods that can be prepared ahead of time and simply assembled on the day.
These can be made and then frozen. When ready, place in a 200°c / 400°f oven and cook till golden and puffed.
Happy partying! Blondie
Stromboli aka Stuffed Bread – step by step… Like anyone, I really enjoy pizza, especially freshly made at home but sometimes you just want to mix it up a bit.
Stromboli is basically a pizza rolled up, not dissimilar to a Calzone or the Panzerotti, although the later is fried and they are both folded in half like a pocket rather than rolled like a loaf, which explains the ‘Stuffed Bread’ tag. The Stromboli is a fabulous way to eat pizza and is far more portable… great for picnics!
If you have ‘Pizza Night’ then why not give this a go?
Bottoms up! Blondie