No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

1 Oreo Crust (or store bought)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip, plus more for garnish
10 Oreos, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer in a large bowl.
2. Chop 8 of the Oreos into coarse pieces. Add to mixing bowl and mix in with the mixer until combined. This will break up some of the chunks into smaller pieces. Fold in the Cool Whip.
3. Spread filling into prepared pie crust. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
4. Before serving, crush the remaining 2 Oreos. Top with more whipped topping and the crushed Oreos.
5. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sweet Cream Shooters

INGREDIENTS:
1 ounce vanilla vodka (may substitute regular, whipped, or cake vodka)
1 ounce kahlua
Splash of International Delight Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer
Whipped Cream and cocoa, for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS:

If your ingredients are all cold, you can just add them in the order listed to a 2.4 ounce shot glass. Otherwise, add the vodka and kahlua to a shaker with ice, shake, then strain into shot glass. Add a splash of coffee creamer. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa (optional).

NOTES:
Can't find the Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer? Use your favorite flavor!

Tiramisu Mousse

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee (I use the Starbucks Via packs)
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold (see note)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (see note)
8 ounces marscarpone cheese or cream cheese (low fat cream cheese is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the instant coffee in the hot water and stir. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to use. (Alternately: you can use an 8 ounce carton of whipped topping. See note.)
3. Mix powdered sugar and marscarpone/cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of the coffee. Add up to the entire amount of coffee, depending on how strong you want your tiramisu. (I added all of it because that’s how I roll.) Mix in vanilla.
4. Fold whipped cream into coffee mixture gently. Place the tiramisu in a gallon size ziploc bag that is fitted with a large round or 1M tip.
5. Pipe a small amount the bottom of each of 4 serving glasses (my glasses were 6 ounce size). Top the layer with a dusting of cocoa powder. Continue layering the tiramisu and cocoa powder. Once you get to the top layer, grate the 1 ounce of semi-sweet baking chocolate over the tops of the serving dishes (instead of the dusting of cocoa powder). This gives a sweet first taste instead of being bitter from the unsweetened cocoa. Chill, covered, in the fridge until ready to serve.

NOTES:
Whipped cream note: you can substitute whipped topping for the 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Use about 8 ounces, no whipping needed. Just skip step 2.

I used cream cheese because I can't always find marscarpone at my store. It's often in the specialty cheese section and is basically an Italian cream cheese. Use whichever you can find!

Coffee note: mine was strong instant coffee and I added a lot. Taste as you go and make this as strong as you like it. The color will vary depending on the amount of coffee used.

Powdered sugar note: if you use whipped topping and/or less coffee you may need less powdered sugar. Start at 1 cup and increase as needed.

Matcha Green Tea Truffles

INGREDIENTS
8 oz (about 1⅓ cup) white chocolate, finely chopped
2½ tsp matcha
⅓ cup heavy cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of salt

Dusting:
1 tsp matcha
1 tsp powdered sugar
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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, heat the cream and butter. Sift in the matcha powder and salt. Heat until the mixture just comes to a small boil and the powder has thoroughly incorporated.
3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted.
4. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, (preferably overnight) or until the chocolate has firmed.
5. In a small bowl, combine the 1 tsp matcha and 1 tsp powdered sugar.
6. Using a teaspoon, shape the chocolate into balls. (If you’re having trouble, lightly powder your hands with the matcha powdered sugar mix and very quickly work it into balls with your fingers!)
7. Roll each ball in the matcha powdered sugar mixture. (You might have to re-roll upon serving if the powder melts into the truffles.) Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!!

Beer Ice Cream Float

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (12 oz.) chocolate stout beer
• 1/2 cup Tipsy Scoop Vanilla Bean Bourbon ice cream

Instructions

1. In a glass mug or pint glass, add two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.
2. Tilt the mug or glass slightly and then slowly straighten it while you pour. The beer will settle in around the ice cream. Once three-quarters full, stop and allow the beer to settle, about 90 seconds. Then fill the glass the rest of the way and top off with another scoop of ice cream if you want to really treat yo self.
3. Serve immediately with a spoon or straw.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookies (video recipe here)

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chocolate chip cookies
Vanilla Ice Cream (about half gallon)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, 20 to 30 seconds.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the dough. Careful not to over beat. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
5. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough, shape into a ball, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat placing each ball of cookie dough about 1- to 2-inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Ice Cream Sandwich Assembly (video below)
6. Take one cookie and place a scoop of ice cream (about 1/4 cup) on the flat side of the cookie. Top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich.
7. Place mini chocolate chips in a bowl or on plate. Roll sides of the sandwich in the chips. Serve immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze.

Notes

*Transferring the chocolate chip cookies to the freezer is essential. If you try to make the sandwiches with warm or room temperature cookies, the cookies will break when you press the ice cream between them. You will also get chocolate chips all over your hands!

Patriotic Cheesecake Popsicles

Ingredients

1 cup fresh raspberries (1/2 pint)
1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)
One 8 ounce package of cream cheese (about a cup), room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat milk

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mash raspberries with a spoon or using your hands until a jam-like consistency is reached. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, repeat the same process with the blueberries and set aside.*
2. In a food processor, blend cream cheese, sugar and milk together. Divide the mixture into three separate bowls (one for red, one for white and one for blue). Each bowl will contain about 3/4 cup of cheesecake mixture. If there is any remaining, add it to your "white" bowl.
3. Pour the raspberry mash into one bowl and stir to create the red. Pour the blueberry mash into another bowl and stir to create the blue.* There should now be three bowls—one raspberry cheesecake mixture, one regular cheesecake mixture and one blueberry cheesecake mixture.
4. Spoon raspberry cheesecake mixture into each popsicle mold about a third of the way up. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (this will ensure the colors don't mix together). Next, spoon the regular cheesecake mixture into each popsicle mold another third of the way up. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Lastly, spoon the blueberry cheesecake mixture into each popsicle mold until almost full. Leave about 1/4-inch at the top as popsicles will expand as they freeze. Place popsicle sticks into each mold.
5. Place popsicle molds in the freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight to fully harden.***

Notes

Don't like raspberry seeds and blueberry skins? Simply place a bowl beneath a mesh strainer and place the raspberry mixture in the strainer. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture against the strainer to separate the juices from the seeds. Repeat with blueberry mixture to remove skins from the juices.
*The red bowl will probably be pink in color and the blue bowl may be purple in color. They will darken up in the freezer!
***To remove popsicles, fill a pan or container that is at least as tall as your mold with warm (not hot) water, and briefly dip the mold in until the pops loosen, about 20 seconds. Remove the mold from the water and place it on a sturdy surface. Gripping the handles, pull gently upward to get nice, clean pops. If it feels like a struggle to unmold, leave the pops in the warm water a little longer. You can leave pops in their molds for several days, though it's best to unmold within a day so they don't discolor or change texture.

Cinnamon Apple Almond Crumble

Ingredients

1 • large Granny Smith apple [cut into small bite-sized cubes]
1/2 cup • plain roasted almonds
1 tbsp • melted unsalted butter
1 tbsp • raw honey
1/2 tsp • cinnamon
1/2 cup • plain whipped cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350ºF/180ºC
2. Mix the apple cubes and cinnamon and divide into two ramekins.
3. Blitz the almonds in a food processor until very fine. Stir in the butter and honey.
4. Crumble the almond mixture on top of the apples.
5. Slide the ramekins into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Serve immediately as is, or with the whipped cream (recommended).

Red, White and Blue Velvet Mini Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

Patriotic Whoopie Pies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red food coloring*
1 tablespoon blue food coloring*

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup (8 ounce package) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
11/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Whoopie Pies

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside.
2. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined.
4. Evenly divide batter into two bowls (about 1 1/2 cups batter per bowl). In one bowl, stir in the red food coloring. In the other bowl, stir in the blue food coloring.
5. Transfer the red velvet dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round frosting tip. Begin piping dough into quarter-sized rounds onto the parchment lined baking sheets placing them about 1-inch apart, then flatten cookie as needed.**
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 5 to 6 minutes until edges are set. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy and lump-free. Transfer to a frosting bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip.

Assembly
Match red velvet cookies up with blue velvet cookies based on size. Frost a dollop of frosting on one red velvet cookie and sandwich with a blue velvet cookie. Repeat for remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container (in refrigerator if not serving within an hour). Whoopie pies will stay for three to four days in the fridge.

Notes

Use 1 Tablespoon food coloring for regular liquid food coloring. For gel or concentrated food coloring, use 1 teaspoon.
*Sometimes peaks will form when using a frosting bag. Get your hands slightly wet with water to help shape the cookies if needed. Alternatively, cookies can be scooped and placed on to the cookie sheet, but will most likely still need shaping to create rounds.

Japanese Clear Onion Soup

Ingredients
2 • onions [diced]
6 cups • vegetable broth or water [whichever you have at hand]
2 • celery stalks [diced]
2 • carrots [peeled and diced]
2 • garlic cloves [minced]
handful • button mushrooms [thinly sliced]
handful • sliced scallions
to taste • salt and pepper
to taste • soy sauce and Sriracha
Get Ingredients

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions in a pot in a little bit of oil until slightly browned.
2. Add the carrot, celery, and garlic and 6 cups of vegetable broth/water.
3. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Strain the veggies from the broth and add the mushrooms and scallions before serving.

No-Bake Tiramisu Truffles

Ingredients

24 ladyfingers
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature*
2-3 tablespoons espresso**
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate
2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)

Instructions

1. In a food processor, blend lady fingers until you have fine crumbs. Set aside 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on the truffles later. Transfer the remaining crumbs to a bowl. Add the sugar and whisk until combined.
2. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) add the mascarpone cheese to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Add the espresso one tablespoon at a time. You do not want a goopy consistency. It should be similar to a soft cookie dough. Transfer the mixture to a tupperware container and place in the fridge for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Remove the mixture from the fridge (it should be firmer now). Start to shape the mixture into 36 (1-inch) balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes.
4. Melt the chocolate (see tips here) and stir in the espresso powder. Dip a cold tiramisu truffle into the melted chocolate and transfer it back to the baking sheet. Sprinkle it with the crushed lady fingers you set aside earlier. Repeat for the remaining truffles.
5. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for a 5 to 10 minutes for the chocolate to harden. Store tiramisu truffles in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

*3/4 cup (6 ounces) cream cheese can be substituted for mascarpone
**Strong coffee or coffee liquor can be used in place of espresso

Twice Baked Make Ahead Cheese Souffle

INGREDIENTS
60g / 2oz / 4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped leeks or scallions/shallots (white part only)
⅓ cup (40g / 1.5 oz) plain all purpose flour (unsifted)
1 cup milk
1 cup grated good melting cheese (see notes)
3 eggs, separated
Pinch of salt and pepper
For Reheating/Second Bake
1¼ cups cream (unwhipped)
4 tbsp grated cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease four ramekins or 6 small ramekins very well (see notes for size).
2. Bring kettle to boil with plenty of water.
3. Melt half the butter (i.e. 2 tbsp) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the leek and cook for a couple of minutes until softened, then remove from pan into a bowl.
4. In the same pan, melt the remaining butter, add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes. Then whisking constantly, add ¼ of the milk, and when it has combined (it will be a thick paste consistency) add the remaining milk, whisking constantly over the medium heat.
5. Continue to whisk and in a minute or two, it will start to thicken. Once it becomes the consistency of a thick pouring cream, remove from heat, add the cheese and leeks and mix to combine. The cheese does not need to melt. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly, then add the egg yolks, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
6. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff then fold a spoonful of the whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it. Then pour the cheese mixture into the bowl with the egg whites and gently fold it to combine. Do NOT over mix as it will knock out the air out of the egg whites, it is mixed enough when there are still slight streaks of white and yellow.
7. Spoon the mixture into ramekins and smooth the tops. Place in a baking dish then pour boiling water around the ramekins so that it comes half way up their sides.
8. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden on top. Remove from oven and leave in ramekins for a couple of minutes. Then run a small knife around the edge before turning out the souffles. They will deflate a little as they cool.
9. To freeze: Once completely cool, cover in cling wrap and freeze. To make, defrost completely (do not use microwave), I usually do this by leaving them in the fridge overnight.

Second Bake Prior to Serving

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. Place a soufflé on a gratin or pie dish (I used a tart dish), pour ¼ of the cream over the top, scatter 1 tbsp grated cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 15 minutes until puffed up and the cream is bubbly and golden.
4. Serve immediately.

NOTES
1. As a last resort, you can substitute the leek with brown or white onion.
2. Any good melting cheese will work. I highly recommend gruyere but because it is quite expensive here in Sydney, I often make it with ordinary tasty or cheddar cheese. I have also made it with goats cheese. All are delicious!
3. Cream - you can use pouring or whipping cream (but not whipped), full fat or light. Double cream is too rich.
4. As the soufflé for this recipe is turned out of the ramekin, make sure you grease the ramekins well. Now is not the time to worry about calories!
5. Ramekin size - 4 large (about 1¼ cup capacity, 8.5 cm / 3.5 inch diameter) or 6 small ramekins (3/4 cup capacity).

No Washing Up Ham, Egg and Cheese Bread Bowls

INGREDIENTS
4 bread rolls (soft or crusty)
4 small slices of ham, or 2 big ones cut in half
4 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Cut the tops off the bread rolls.
3. Scoop out the centre and reserve (see notes for ideas to use). To be neat, use a small knife to cut a round outline before scooping out the centre.
4. Line the bread bowl with a layer of ham. Try to use one whole piece if you can because then there is less chance of egg seeping through and being soaked up by the bread.
5. Crack in an egg.
6. Top each with 2 tbsp of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of parsley (optional).
7. Put the top back on each roll. Wrap with foil and place in oven to bake for ~10 to 15 minutes. Take a peek at 10 minutes to check them. 10 minutes = very runny yolks. 15 minutes = firm just cooked yolks. 15 minutes + = very cooked yolks. (See notes for more information)
8. Remove from oven, unwrap and serve immediately.

NOTES

1. You need to use lunch-size bread rolls for this, not small dinner rolls as they are too small.
2. You can add whatever fillings you want. Just be sure to line the bread with ham otherwise the egg will soak into the bread.
3. I have tried this with bacon before but because it is less pliable than ham, I found that it didn't work as well because I couldn't mould it into the bread bowl very well which left less room for the egg. It might work better with bacon using a large bread roll.
4. SAVE THE BREAD you scoop out! Use them to make breadcrumbs or croutons. Or how about this Creamy Chicken Bacon and Broccoli Bread Bake or Chicken and Spinach Strata?
5. I've had a few readers say that it took longer to cook for the egg to set. The cooking time will be impacted by the following:
a) Your oven. Mine is a fan forced oven which cooks food faster than normal ovens.
b) How many you are making - the more you are making, the longer it will take.
c) How thick the bread bowl walls are. The thicker the wall, the longer it will take for the heat to get to the centre of the bread to cook the egg. I made mine quite thin - about 1cm/1/3".
d) The type of bread you are using. A dense bread like a sourdough will take longer. I used soft standard bread rolls.
e) Whether the eggs are at room temperature or are cold, straight out of the fridge.

Smoked Salmon and Egg Breakfast Mille-feuille

INGREDIENTS
1 sheet store bought frozen puff pastry, thawed (25 cm x 25cm / 10" x 10")
Scrambled Eggs
8 eggs
¼ cup cream or full cream milk (double this for creamier eggs - Note 1)
½ to ¾ tsp salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp butter
Mille-feuille
6 oz / 200g smoked salmon
⅔ cup crème fraîche (Note 2), plus more for serving (optional)
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped, plus more for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Cut the puff pastry in half, then each half into 4 pieces to make 8 pieces that are 6 cm x 12.5 cm / 2.5" x 5".
Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (baking paper) or sprayed with oil.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Then brush the puff pastry with the eggs, taking care not to brush the cut sides (optional step - makes the pastry more golden).
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden.
Remove from the oven and split each piece in half horizontally (so you have a top and bottom).
Place on a rack to cool.

Scrambled Eggs
Whisk the cream into the eggs.
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat if you have gas or medium high for electric. Don't let the butter brown. Add the eggs and don't touch it for 20 seconds.
Then use a wooden spoon with a flat edge (or egg flip) to gently scrape the bottom and fold the eggs over. Continue to do this for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the eggs are mostly cooked but still wet.
Turn the stove off, add salt and pepper and keep folding until the eggs are just before done to your liking (they will continue to cook for a bit). Remove from the stove.

Assemble
Mix the crème fraîche and chives together in a small bowl.
Place the bottom half of each puff pastry piece on a serving platter. Divide the eggs between them, top with smoked salmon then spread with crème fraîche mixture. Place the top half of the puff pastry on the salmon.
Serve immediately with extra crème fraîche on the side, if desired.

NOTES
1. If you like your eggs really creamy and wet, then double the cream / milk. This will make scrambled eggs that are almost like a thick porridge.

2. Crème fraîche is like a richer, less tangy version of sour cream. You can substitute with sour cream, or a really thick, full fat yoghurt.

I find that this recipe really needs that extra bit of moisture from the crème fraîche. You can serve it on the side if you prefer, rather than inside the Mille-feuille.

Monte Christo (Ham Cheese French Toast)

INGREDIENTS
4 slices bread of choice (Note 1)
1 large egg or 2 small eggs
1 tbsp milk
Salt
2 tsp mayonnaise (I like whole egg mayo)
2 - 4 slices gruyere cheese (or other grated or sliced melting cheese of choice)
Ham or turkey, sliced or shaved
1 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lightly whisk egg, milk and a generous pinch of salt in a flat bowl.
2. Spread 2 slices of bread with mayonnaise.
3. Top with ham, then cheese, then sandwich with remaining slices of bread. Press down firmly.
4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
5. Dip each side of the sandwiches briefly in the egg mixture, then place in skillet.
6. Cook the first side, pressing down with an egg flip, for 3 minutes or until deep golden brown.
7. Flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes, pressing down firmly with the egg flip, until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
8. Serve immediately, while hot!

NOTES
1. This is great made with artisan (e.g. sourdough) bread or ordinary sandwich bread. Sourdough yields a slightly crunchier golden crust whereas sandwich bread has a higher ratio of soft gooey melted cheese and hot ham. I enjoy both!

Leek and Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only sliced thinly (about 2 cups) (Note 1a)
12oz / 350g potatoes, peeled a diced into 1"/2.5cm cubes (Note 1b)
4 cups (1 quart/1 litre) chicken broth/stock
¼ cup heavy cream (or milk)
Salt and pepper

To serve
2 thick slices bread, torn into crouton size pieces
Olive oil spray
Salt
Chives, finely chopped
Extra cream, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add garlic and leek and sauté for 7 minutes until soft and sweet.
2. Add potatoes and broth, place the lid on and simmer for 25 minutes or until potato is very soft and almost falling apart.
3. Turn the stove off and puree with a stick blender until JUST smooth. Do not over puree (Note 3). Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir through cream. Use water or milk to thin the soup if it is too thick for your taste.
4. Serve, drizzled with cream, sprinkled with chives and with croutons on the side.
5. Croutons
6. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Spray or drizzle bread with olive oil (or melted butter). Bake for 5 minutes or until golden and crunchy. Season with salt.

NOTES
1a. You can substitute with onions if you prefer.

1b. Potato types suitable: US - Yukon Gold, Russset Australia - Dirt brushed or the common washed potatoes you can get at any supermarket. Do not use red potatoes or new potatoes i.e. the ones that you use for potato salad because they are low in starch so will not break down as much when boiling to create a creamy soup.

2. I made changes to the original recipe to increase the flavour to my taste. The main difference is that I saute the leeks in butter and add garlic, and I use chicken broth rather than water. I also increased the amount of potatoes slightly to make it a bit thicker.

If you would like to try the original recipe, here it is (half quantity):
8oz / 250g potatoes, peeled and diced
8 oz / 250g leeks, white part only, sliced
4 cups / 1 quart / 1 litre water
2 to 3 tbsp cream or softened butter
1 tbsp minced chives or parsley

Directions: 
Simmer potatoes and leeks in water for 40 to 50 minutes until tender. Use a stick blender to puree, then stir through cream, season with salt and pepper and serve.

3. Please do not puree it for too long! Only puree it until it is just smooth. The reason is that excessive churning of potato can cause it to turn gluey. That's why I never make mashed potatoes in a food processor - it becomes sticky! It's also the reason why using a stick blender is better than using a blender for this recipe - you can control the pureeing better. If you only have a blender, I strongly urge you to mash the potato in the liquid with a potato masher first, then transfer to blender and pulse until just smooth.

Cheesy Bacon and Egg Hash

INGREDIENTS
24 oz | 700 g potatoes (about 4 medium-sized), scrubbed clean and peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil)
7 oz | 200 g diced bacon (trimmed of fat)
2 scallions or spring onions (shallots), trimmed and finely sliced
4 large eggs
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)
Cracked pepper to season

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dice potatoes into small ¾-inch cubes.
2. Stove Top:
3. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet or pan over medium heat. Fry the potatoes in the hot oil and cook while stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy (about 20 minutes). To speed up cooking time, cover pan with a lid, checking the potatoes every 4-5 minutes or so to stir them (this takes about 15 minutes).
4. Add the bacon pieces to the pan and fry while stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until crisp. The potatoes will be golden with crisp edges, while soft on the inside. Add the spring onions; stir them through and season with pepper (optional). The bacon releases some oil by this stage to cook your eggs!
5. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, make four wells in the hash, crack an egg into each well and arrange the mozzarella around each egg. Fry until the whites are set and the eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately! (Don't leave the hash in the pan or the eggs will continue cooking in the heat of the skillet).

Oven Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F | 200°C. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in a cast iron skillet or oven proof pan (or baking sheet). Spray with a light coating of cooking oil spray and bake for about 30 minutes, mixing them around halfway through cook time, until they are crisp and golden. Remove from oven, add the bacon, and place back into the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Remove from oven, make four wells in the hash, crack an egg into each well and arrange the mozzarella around each egg. Place skillet (or pan) back into the oven until the whites are set and the eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately!

Creamy Healthy Broccoli Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 large head of broccoli
1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped into cubes about 1.5cm / ½" cubes
1 white or brown onion, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic
2 cups vegetable stock / broth
1 cup milk (low fat, cow or soy)
½ cup water
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut / break broccoli into florets into pieces about half the size of a golf ball. Roughly cut most of the stem, other than the main stem, into thumb size pieces. Discard the main stem, or keep for another use.
2. Place all ingredients except milk, salt and pepper in pot, put on lid, bring to boil then turn down heat to medium and let it rapidly simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove lid, add milk, bring back to boil, then remove from heat and whizz with hand held blender.
4. You can thicken the soup by cooking it for longer on the stove on a medium low heat.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve with croutons if desired.

CroutonsCut stale bread into cubes, lightly spray with olive oil, spread on baking stray and bake for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt then top on soup.

Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 crusty loaf, preferably sourdough or Vienna
¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (or other melting cheese)
Garlic Butter
100g/3.5oz unsalted butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. Combine butter, garlic and salt in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave. Stir through parsley.
3. Cut the bread on a diagonal into 2cm/1" diamonds but do not cut all the way through the bread (just like you would cut a french stick for garlic bread).
4. Use your fingers or a knife to pry open each crack and drizzle in a teaspoon of butter and stuff in a pinch of cheese. This might sound like a bit of an effort, but I promise you it is worth it! You don't need to be super neat, it's nice to have some of the butter drizzled over the crust.
5. Wrap with foil and bake for 15minutes until the cheese has mostly melted, then unwrap and bake for 5 minutes more to make the bread nice and crusty.
6. Serve immediately.

NOTES
1. To make ahead, after wrapping with foil, wrap with cling wrap as well. Store in fridge overnight or freeze to store for longer. To cook, thaw then follow recipe instructions to bake.

2. The denser the bread, the better the pieces will hold together when pulled off.

3. Use already baked bread, not uncooked bread dough.

4. **Update** A reader reminded me of a fabulous "SPEEDY" tip that I should share with you! Instead of melting the butter, cream it. Then cut diagonal slices (in one direction only) and use all the butter and generously spread it in each crack, on both walls. Then cut the bread to make diamonds and as you drag the knife through the bread, it will spread the butter into the new crevices you are cutting. This doesn't provide quite the same even coverage of butter but for a speedy version, it is a small compromise. Thank you to CJ for the tip!

Sausage Egg Boats

Ingredients:

4 demi sourdough baguettes (I found them in the bakery section of the grocery store)

1 (7 ounce) package of Jones All Natural Golden Spicy Pork Sausage Links

8 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated

3 green onions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cut and pull out the middle of all 4 sourdough baguettes, leaving ½ inch of bread in the bottom and on the sides. Set baguettes aside. Prepare sausage according to package directions. 
3. Cut links into bite-size pieces and set aside. In a medium bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and the cream. 
4. Whisk in remaining ingredients and sausage. Evenly divide and pour the mixture into each baguette boat. 
5. Place all 4 baguettes on a baking sheet and bake for 25-28 minutes or until set in the center. Allow boats to cool for 10 minutes, cut and serve. 

Beef Meatballs

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1½ tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
½ tbsp honey
1 Thai chili, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

For the dipping sauce:
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp water
1 Thai chili, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. - Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a food processor and blend until everything is mixed and minced. Transfer to a bowl.
2. - Put a little oil in your hands, just enough to lightly coat fingers and palms and use a tablespoon to scoop up the beef mixture so the meatballs are the same size. Repeat process until all the beef mixture is used.
3. - In a deep pan over medium high heat, add oil and the meatballs. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the meatballs over, cover and cook for another 5 or until meatballs are golden brown.
4. - Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl and serve together with beef meatballs. Pour over or use as a dipping sauce.
5. - Serve with rice, tomatoes and a few cilantro leaves.

Red Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium red potatoes, washed and scrubbed well
• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk ranch dressing mix
• 4 ounces sliced jack cheese, cut into pieces to fit into potatoes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Microwave potatoes for 4-5 minutes, turning over once, until almost tender when inserting knife into center. Meanwhile, stir together softened butter and ranch mix until smooth. Using a towel or oven mitt to protect your hand, make 1/4" slices in potatoes, stopping before you slice through to the bottom. (Placing potato in a large wooden spoon during this step can help prevent slicing through completely.) Place sliced potatoes on baking sheet. Use a spreading knife to push some of the seasoned butter into each incision. Place a piece of cheese into each incision (cut to just fit). Bake potatoes for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Then, broil for 5-7 minutes, until skin starts to brown.