Roast whole stuffed pumpkin - Nigella Cookalong

I've been keeping an eye on Nigella's Cookalong and joining in when I can. When the November recipe was posted for Roast Stuffed Pumpkin I was excited.

I bought this beautiful pumpkin at the Orange Farmer's market.

The top is removed and the insides scooped out.

Nigella suggests this great idea where you half fill your pumpkin with rice in a freezer bag to determine how much you need, since all pumpkins are different sizes.

For the rice filling you soften some onion and then add cranberries, ground ginger and allspice, garlic, and zest.

My only real variation to the recipe was adding some chopped zucchini chunks, really my laziness so I could serve it up as a more complete meal without cooking extra veg!

The basmati rice is stirred in and then add stock, I used my homemade free range chook stock.

The lid is then popped on and the rice allowed to absorb the stock over low heat.

The inside of the pumpkin is rubbed with garlic and salt.

Fill it up with your rice filling, and push the 'lid' on top.

The bottom is wrapped in foil and hot water is added to a pan for roasting.

It is baked for a couple of hours and then it is oh so soft but yet fully intact.

Certainly an impressive table decoration, I am definitely going to cook it again for a dinner party.

The tender sweet roasted pumpkin was the perfect accompaniment for the rice filling, so flavoursome, especially those beautiful cranberries and the zucchini absorbing so much flavour.

Not to forget the gingery tomato sauce made to accompany the dish, I thought it tasted quite strange on its own but I couldn't get enough of it when eating with the pumpkin and rice.

Thank you Nigella for yet another amazing recipe!

Baked Donuts

Recently I was immediately smitten with these Maple Pumpkin Donuts created by the brilliant Not Quite Nigella.

So much so I went straight out and bought a donut baking tin!

Its a great simple recipe that results in a fluffy delicious, basically guilt free, donut.

Two bowls - one with oil, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup and pumpkin puree. 

I actually did not have enough oil so used half natural yoghurt. 

Mix together then add your second bowl of flour (I used whole spelt), baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Carefully add to your donut tin and bake.

I tipped them straight out of the tin, coated in cinnamon sugar and ate them hot.

They were delicious, everything I wanted them to be - a pumpkin pie donut!

The kids looooved them too.

I have also made a banana version, using the same recipe but substituting pumpkin puree for mashed banana. 

It was so good that I made it again but with a salted caramel filling....

They were delicious, the caramel added a whole other level of deliciousness.

I do recommend you bake them yourself :) check out Not Quite Nigella's recipe.

Dukkah Roasted Chicken with Carrot and Pearl Barley Risotto

This is a Christine Manfield recipe for Dukkah Roast Chicken with Carrot and Pearl Barley Risotto that popped up in my email from The Essential Ingredient.

I have cooked Christine's recipes in the past and loved them, so this was a must to try.

We were not disappointed, it really is a stunning dish that has you licking the plate! 

And even better it is easy!

Butterfly your chicken, rub all over with a mix of Ras El Hanout (spice mix), oil, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper.

Then bake.

The risotto cooking liquid is made with a combination of chicken stock and carrot juice.

I bought some beautiful pearl barley from Honest to Goodness.

Some beautiful carrots and lemon zest are added to the base of the risotto consisting of softened leek, onion and garlic.

Add the pearl barley, followed by some sherry.

The hot stock is then added and the risotto allowed to simmer away until the liquid is absorbed. For me this took a lot longer then the 30 minutes the recipe suggested, but it was worth the wait!

It is finished with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Once the chicken is cooked drizzle with some sesame oil and sprinkle on the Dukkah.

Serve on your risotto, I added some baked asparagus too, and sprinkled with a mix of parsley, lemon juice, oil and capers. 

We also spooned over some of the delicious cooking juices from the chicken.

We had this for Sunday lunch and it was just perfect.

The flavours were beautiful with the soft sweet carrot risotto and the moist tasty chicken.

It will be gracing our table again very soon.....

Monster High Party Pinata Cake

On the weekend we celebrated Evie's birthday, she chose a 'Monster High' theme.

I love to make decorations, and although I did have some issues, the pinata looked great in the end, although next time I need more layers - it didn't last very long.

I also bought Monster High themed table decorations.

The party 'cave' was hanging streamers and balloons with glow sticks inside.

I piped the Monster High symbol on gingerbread for the take home lolly bags.

These amazing red velvet cupcakes were beautiful and delicious, made by Cakes by Sasi, please do check out some of her creations ----> incredible.

And of course the cake!

As soon as Evie saw Bubble and Sweet's Pinata cake she wanted one for her birthday.

The base was layered Milo chocolate cake, then topped with a chocolate bowl with a hole to fill in the lollies and the Draculaura doll.

I frosted with Italian meringue buttercream and piped the design using royal black icing.

It was great, everyone loved it when Evie cracked it open and the lollies spilled out.

I wonder what cake I will be making next year....

Remember last years Disney's Brave Macaron Cake?

Fried Radish Cake (Jackie M recipe)

Recently Jackie M, an expert in Malaysian cuisine, published a recipe book and I was quick to buy IT. 

I have already cooked a couple of the recipes but after trying the Fried Radish Cake at Marrickville markets I was very keen to make this one.

Firstly I made the sauce for it which is a combination of soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, chicken stock, and thick caramel sauce simmered.

Then the 'radish cake' which actually does not contain radish! (Apparently in the old days it did).

It is made by cooking rice flour, tapioca flour, salt and water on the stove top before steaming.

Once cooled it is cut into cubes.

Firstly I cooked the cubes in some oil until the surface became rough.

I then stir fried minced garlic and preserved radish. 

Then added the sauce, egg and rice cubes.

It is finished with bean sprouts and chives, which I did not have, so I used green onions.

To accompany the dish I made Belacan sambal.

This dish is totally worth the effort. I will definitely cook it again soon!

It is delicious and filling, and really quite simple.

My daughter went back for thirds!

So make sure you check out Jackie's site, the book is great and she also does excellent videos.