Ricotta Filling

Ingredients:

•      Ricotta

•      4 Shallots

•      Salt and pepper to taste.

•      Parmesan Cheese

Method:

1. Finely dice the shallots.
   
   
2. Mix all the ingredients together in one bowl.
   
   
3. The mixture is now ready to use in the filling.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients:

•  2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
•  2 whole large eggs
•  4 yolks from 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting water

Method:

1. Make the Dough: On a large, clean work surface, pour flour in a mound. Make a well in the center about 4 inches wide. Pour whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt into well and, using a fork, beat thoroughly. When combined, gradually incorporate flour into the eggs until a wet, sticky dough has formed. 
   
2. Using a bench knife scrape excess dough from fork and fingers. Begin to fold additional flour into the dough with the bench knife, turning the dough roughly 45 degrees each time, until dough feels firm and dry, and can form a craggy-looking ball, 2 to 5 minutes.
   
3.  Press the heel of your hand into the ball of dough, pushing forward and down. Rotate the ball 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until dough develops a smooth, elastic texture similar to a firm ball of Play-Doh. If dough feels too wet, add flour in 1 teaspoon increments. If dough feels too dry, add water slowly using a spray bottle.
   
4.   Wrap ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest on countertop for 30 minutes.

White Christmas Trees

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (105g) rice bubbles
• 1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup (40g) gluten-free icing sugar
• 150g white chocolate
• 50g Copha, melted
• 100g white chocolate, melted, extra
• 100’s & 1000's, to decorate
• Red and green Mini M&M's, to decorate
• 1/2 cup icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 250g white chocolate melts
• 40 assorted coloured mini jelly beans

Method:

1.    Cut 4 x 30cm squares of baking paper. Halve diagonally to make 8 triangles. Shape into cones, staple to secure.

2.     Combine rice bubbles, coconut and icing sugar in a large bowl. Place the chocolate and Copha in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon for 3 mins or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Add to rice bubble mixture and stir to combine. Spoon evenly among prepared cones and use the back of a spoon to press lightly. Place on a baking tray in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.

3.     Remove paper cones from chocolate crackles. Stand on a baking tray. Drizzle cones with extra melted chocolate. Sprinkle with 100’s & 1000’s. Dip Mini M&M’s in extra chocolate and arrange on cone. Set aside to set.

Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 roast chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, trimmed, halved, washed, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 3 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method:

1. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Shred meat.
   
2. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek is tender. Add stock and 3 cups cold water. Bring to the boil. Add barley. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, skimming surface, for 25 to 30 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.
   
3.  Add chicken. Cook for 10 minutes or  until chicken is heated through. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Mini Christmas Puddings

At our Term 4 Cooking Classes, we are making a holiday recipe each week for the kids to take home.  This was today's recipe.

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 700g apple and cranberry cake
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 250g white chocolate melts
• 40 assorted coloured mini jelly beans

Method:

1. Place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.
2. Crumble cake into a large bowl. Add dark chocolate, orange juice and sugar. Stir to combine. Cover. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
3. Roll level tablespoons of cake mixture into balls. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper, flattening bases slightly so they sit on trays. Refrigerate until firm.
4. Melt white chocolate following method in step 1. Cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle over puddings to form 'custard' (see tip). Decorate with jelly beans

Tip - When topping puddings with 'custard', work in batches of 10 at a time so the 'custard' doesn't set before adding jelly beans. 

Spanish Paella

This is what I call a "Saturday Night Dish".  Saturday Night is the beginning of my weekend, and I have the patience to put together a nice meal.  My younger kids will help me prep the ingredients, and we hang in the kitchen and chat about their day.

Don't worry about the crust on the bottom of the dish.  The pan can be easily soaked in water to remove once it's softened.

We make this at our cooking classes, but don't include the prawns.  Although it's one of the dishes hero's, prawns could be replaced with calamari, or simply left out due to allergies etc.

Kids will love to put this recipe together - it's full of flavour without being overly spicy. 

Ingredients:

•Pinch saffron threads

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 (125g) chorizo, thinly sliced

• 2 (260g) chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces

• 1 medium red onion, halved, thinly sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

• 1 medium red capsicum, thinly sliced

• 1 cup Arborio Risotto Rice

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 12 med green prawns, peeled, tails intact, deveined

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

1. Combine saffron and 1 tablespoon warm water in a jug. Stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan, over medium-high heat. Cook chorizo, stirring, for 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm. Add chicken to pan. Cook for 3 minutes each side or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
3. Add onion, garlic, chilli and paprika to pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until onion has just softened. Add capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until rice is coated. Add saffron mixture, tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until rice is almost tender.
4. Return chicken and chorizo to pan. Stir in prawns and peas. Cover. Cook for 3 minutes or until prawns and peas are cooked through. Serve topped with parsley and lemon wedges.

Molten Lava Puddings

Ingredients:

• Melted butter, to grease
• Melted butter, to grease
• 200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 200g butter, chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 16 Lindt Lindor Dark or Milk Chocolate Balls
• Cocoa powder, extra, to dust
• Philadelphia Cooking Cream for Desserts, to serve

Method: 

1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush eight 185ml (3/4-cup) capacity ovenproof dishes or pudding moulds with melted butter. Line the bases with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
3.  Use an electric beater to beat eggs, egg yolk and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Transfer egg mixture to a large bowl. Gradually fold in the chocolate mixture. Sift over flour and cocoa powder. Fold until just smooth.
4. Spoon two-thirds of the chocolate mixture into prepared dishes. Place on a baking tray. Divide Lindt balls among the centres. Spoon remaining chocolate mixture over the top and smooth the surfaces. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just set. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Turn the puddings onto serving plates. Dust with extra cocoa powder. Serve with cream.