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Delicious, Tummy-warming Apple Crumble

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Delicious, Tummy-warming Apple Crumble

After a quick, cheap evening treat for after dinner? i bet you probably have all the ingredients in your household as the recipe is SO SIMPLE and just absolutely a family favorite to warm your bellies in this cold winter chill.

  • ½ cup plain flour
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • ¼ cup desiccated coconut
  • ¼ cup Soft Brown Sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 75g butter
  • 5-6 Apples
  • 2 Tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 2 Tbsp Raw Sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C on fan-bake.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oats, coconut, brown sugar & cinnamon all together and the rub the butter into the mixture with your hands until it becomes crumbly.

Peel and cut the apples into thin slices (not too thin!) and place them in the oven proof dish – drizzle some golden syrup over the apples.

Spread the crumble mix evenly on top of the apples to completely cover the oven dish and sprinkle your raw sugar over the top to give it the caramelised taste.

Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are cooked. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, freshly whipped cream or warm custard for a delicious winters desert!

TIP* Add in some additional fruit with the apple, plums, peaches, pears or mixed berries would complement this just superbly!  

Countdown NZ Spinach & Feta Scrolls (Summer Fave)

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Not all delicious recipes have to come from Nana’s hand written cookbook with the flour, milk and cocoa splatters throughout the pages, although nothing will ever beat her golden recipes this sure does come close.

Spinach & Feta Scrolls – perfect for the kids lunch boxes and also just as a snack or a great addition to that BBQ you have been invited too..

Here’s what you need to make this mouth-watering meal:

  • 1 1/2 Sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed.
  • Spray cooking oil.
  • 250g Baby spinach.
  • 100g Crumbled feta cheese.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Join pastry sheets, overlapping them by 1cm and pressing together to join. Place pastry over the baking paper.

2. Spray a medium sized frying pan with oil. Place spinach in the frying pan and sauté over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until just wilted. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out excess moisture. Spread spinach over pastry, leaving a 3cm border around the edge. Sprinkle feta over top.

3. Brush pastry edge with a small amount of water and roll up loosely. Cut into 6 equal rounds. Arrange the rounds with the cut-side up on the baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

I love countdown for many reasons but if you browse the hundreds of recipes on their website (www.countdown.co.nz) it actually generates a shopping list below the recipe in which it gives quantities and the amount of food you need to complete the recipe – SO EASY! There is also many different meals/drinks/appetizers based upon the event or season to browse recipes from, it’s a great tool and the food never fails to disappoint, the kids will love it too.

 

Countdown shopping list - Feta & Spinach Scrolls

Countdown shopping list – Feta & Spinach Scrolls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are you waiting for? lets start summer with a bang (and a yummy, easy, affordable meal).

 

(Image & Recipe from www.countdown.co.nz)

Casserole/stew

Winter’s Beef Casserole

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Don’t just warm your tummy – warm your soul as well! this recipe is a MUST for these winter chills.

  • 600g chuck or gravy beef.
  • 1x onion, sliced.
  • 2x medium carrots, sliced thinly.
  • 2x Tbsp plain flour.
  • 3x cups beef/vegetable stock.
  • 1x tsp Worcestershire sauce.
  • 1x Tbsp soy sauce.
  • 1 Tbsp thyme.
  • 2x bay leaves.
  • 2x tsp garlic.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut beef into cubes/strips.

Season with salt and pepper, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and mix well.

Heat a large fry pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches then place in a casserole dish.

Reduce heat in pan, and sauté the onion and carrot in butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in flour and stir until the vegetables are coated.

Gradually pour in stock, stirring well. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Pour into a casserole dish, cover then place in oven and cook until the beef is tender. Stir every 40 minutes or so, adding water if needed to keep the ingredients just covered. (Roughly cooking time is 2hrs and 30mins but will depend on different types of ovens and temperatures)

Smart tip: This casserole can be cooked on a stove top or slow cooker.

Stove top method: Place the browned beef and other ingredients in a heavy-based pot. Partially cover, keep the heat low. Simmer until the meat is very tender. Stir occasionally, adding water if needed to keep ingredients just covered.

Slow cooker: Place the browned beef with other ingredients into the slow cooker and place onto low for 6 hours or until the meat is tender. Depending on size and cut this can take up to 8 hours.

 

Cinnamon

Tasty Cinnamon Rolls

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I was digging around my recipes and i found this fine little gem, i had made it on the weekend and they lasted all about two days before they were gone out of sight! very popular i will definitely making some more this week! keep reading to find out how to make these tasty Cinnamon Rolls.

 

For the Dough:

2x Cups self-raising flour

1x pinch of salt

90g Butter (cubed)

2/3 cup of milk

 

For the Filling:

120g Butter (softened)

4x Tbsp brown sugar

2x tsp cinnamon sugar (or half cinnamon powder and half white sugar)

 

For the Icing:

1x Cup icing sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp Boiling water

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Sift flour and salt into bowl, then rub chopped butter into flour using your finger tips.
3. Make a well in the centre and add almost all the milk. Mix lightly to make a soft dough (add the rest of the milk if necessary).
4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
5. Roll out dough to a 25 x 40cm rectangle of 5mm thickness.
6. To make the filling; beat the butter with Brown Sugar and cinnamon sugar with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the dough rectangle.
7. Roll up dough from the long side and using a sharp knife, slice the dough into 3cm pieces.
8. Place scroll pieces into the holes in a muffin tin, greased tray cut-side up. (Avoid using a baking tray, as the contents will leak/spread).  Cook for 20-30 minutes or until golden.
9. Drizzle with icing.
10. To make the icing; combine Icing Sugar and boiling water in a small bowl beat until smooth.

Get going in the kitchen and give this a tasty treat a try, grab the kids and get them involved – such a rewarding activity that everyone will love!

 

P.S Take a photo and let us know on our Facebook page how great these were.