Mozzarella and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto Balls

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup water
1 tbs olive oil
1 small brown onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic
¾ cup Arborio rice
1 tbs finely chopped fresh basil
1 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbs finely chopped semi-dried tomatoes
60g mozzarella, diced into 1cm cubes
¼ cup packaged breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

METHOD
Place stock and water in medium saucepan and bring to boil.
Reduce heat, simmer, covered.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in medium saucepan.
Cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion softens.
Add rice and stir to coat in onion mixture.
Stir in ½ cup of the simmering stock mixture, in ½ cup batches, stirring, until liquid is absorbed after each addition.
Total cooking time should be about 35 minutes or until rice is just tender.
Stir in herbs and tomato.
Cover and cool for 30 minutes.
Roll heaped teaspoons of the risotto mixture into balls.
Press a piece of cheese into centre of each ball, roll to enclose.
Coat risotto balls in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in wok.
Deep fry risotto balls, in batches, until browned lightly and heated through.

SERVINGS
30

SOURCE
AWW Party Food and Drink

Satay Chicken Skewers

INGREDIENTS
1 tbs soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbs sweet chilli sauce
100mL coconut milk
1 stem lemongrass, finely chopped
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
400g chicken fillet

METHOD
Place all ingredients except the chicken in a food processor.
Add 6 tablespoons (120mL) hot water.
Process until smooth.
Chop the chicken into bite size pieces.
Toss in the mixture.
Refrigerate for 1 hour to marinate.
Preheat grill or bbq to high heat.
Thread the chicken onto skewers.
Grill or bbq chicken until cooked through and slightly charred.
Serve as is or with satay sauce.

SERVINGS
25

SOURCE
Delicious Let's Entertain

Satay Sauce

INGREDIENTS
2cm piece ginger, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp turmeric
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
1 red chilli, pounded
2 tsp palm sugar
1 cup coconut milk

METHOD
Process together the ginger, onion and garlic until mushy.
In a small saucepan on low heat, gently sauté the onion mixture in oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Combine spices in mortar and pestle and crush.
Add spices to onion mixture in saucepan and cook for one minute.
Add soy sauce, peanut butter, sugar and chilli, stir.
Add coconut milk to peanut sauce and stir thoroughly until the sauce is smooth.
Cook on low heat for a further two minutes.

COMMENTS
This sauce is very adaptable as well as delicious. After cooking, it can be added to a stirfry, with veges, meat and noodles or rice. Alternatively, it is a fantastic crowd pleaser when placed in the middle of the table with lots of chicken sticks for dipping.

SOURCE
Jules

Chocolate Mud Cake

INGREDIENTS
400g dark chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup thickened cream, whipped
2 tbsp Cointreau or fresh orange juice

METHOD
Grease a deep 19cm square cake pan, line with baking paper.
Melt chocolate in microwave, in one minute bursts on medium heat (remember to stir each time, as chocolate holds its shape when melted otherwise).
Beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy.
Fold in combined cream and liqueur, then chocolate.
Pour mixture into pan, stand pan in baking dish with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of pan.
Bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour, or until cake shrinks slightly from sides of pan.
Remove pan from baking dish, cool cake in pan, then refrigerate till cold.
Dust with sifted icing sugar or high quality cocoa and serve with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

COMMENT
Also delicious as mini mud cakes - halve the recipe, cook in mini patty cases for 8 minutes. Absolutely divine!

SERVINGS
12 (30 mini-mud cakes)

SOURCE
Jules

Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake

INGREDIENTS
185g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
250g unsalted butter
2 tbs creme de framboise
95g caster sugar
95g light muscavado sugar (or light brown sugar)
250g good quality dark chocolate
3/4 cup brewed black coffee
3/4 cup water
2 eggs, slightly beaten,
250g raspberries, plus extra to serve
Icing sugar, to dust
Thick greek yoghurt or whipped cream (if desired), to serve

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease a 22-23cm springform cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
Cover the bottom and sides of the outside of the pan with a layer of foil.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together into a bowl and set aside.
Put the butter, framboise, sugars, chocolate, coffee and water in a heavy-based saucepan.
Stir over low heat until everything melts and is thick, glossy and smooth.
Stir into the flour and cocoa.
Beat well until smooth and glossy again.
Beat in the eggs till runny.
Pour into the prepared pan until you have covered the base with about 2cm of mixture.
Cover with raspberries.
Pour the rest of the mixture on top (push raspberries back under cake batter by hand if necessary).
Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is firm and slightly cracked.
Take the cake out of the oven and place on a rack.
Leave in pan for 15 minutes then turn out.
Just before serving, dust with a little icing sugar pushed through a tea strainer.
Serve with lots more fresh raspberries and a dollop of yoghurt or whipped cream, if desired.

SERVINGS
8

SOURCE
Nigella Lawson How to Eat

Filled Baguette

INGREDIENTS
2 long french baguettes
1 bunch fresh spinach
2 capsicums, roasted, skinned and seedless
4 small eggplants, sliced and grilled
300g pumpkin, sliced and grilled
250g fetta cheese, sliced or crumbled
200g mortadella or mild salami (omit for vegetarian)
hummus, to spread
1 small can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced (optional)

METHOD
Horizontally slice baguettes in half and pull soft bread out to form bread cases.
Spread hummus over all four cases, then line with washed and dried spinach leaves.
Fill baguettes by layering other ingredients on top of each other.
Place top case onto filled bottom case and press both together.
Refrigerate for two hours until ready to serve, allowing time for the flavours to meld together.
To serve, slice baguettes diagonally and arrange on a platter.

SOURCE
Juliette