Pot Luck food

Mexican Mince and Potato Bake

•1 teaspoon olive oil •500g beef mince •2-3 cloves of garlic – finely sliced •1 green capsicum - chopped •1 yellow capsicum - chopped •8 spring onions (2 bunches) sliced •3 small-medium tomatoes – chopped •1 teaspoon chilli powder •1 tablespoon ground cumin •1 teaspoon garlic salt •1/2 teaspoon black pepper •1/4 teaspoon salt, •3-5 large baking potatoes, sliced thin, •3/4 cup grated tasty cheese. Preheat oven to 180°C. In a large pan, heat the oil, add the mince, capsicums and spring onions. Cook, stirring as needed, until the mince is browned and the vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes, spices and salt, cook, stirring as needed until the flavours are blended, about five minutes. Arrange layers of the potatoes and mince mixture in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, uncover and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes longer.

Pavlova Stack with Berry Coulis and Summer Fruits

Ingredients
Meringue
4 egg whites
125g caster sugar

Raspberry coulis
4tbs caster sugar
100mls water
1 punnet raspberries or box of frozen thawedor boysenberries
1 cup pouring cream
¼ cup icing sugar

Fruit
½ punnet strawberries, hulled, quartered
Blueberries
1 pomegranate, seeded (optional)
1 banana, thinly sliced

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C

2. For the meringues, place the egg whites into a clean, dry bowl, using a hand beater whisk the egg whites until peaks form. Gradually add the sugar continuing to whisk constantly until stiff peaks form. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spoon the meringue mixture onto the tray and place try in the oven, reduce temperature to 90°C to bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Set aside to cool.

3. For the coulis, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved then allow to boil and reduce to a syrup. Place the berries in another small saucepan over a low heat, crush lightly then pour over the sugar syrup, cook for a few minutes then strain through a sieve and pour into a small jug.

4. Combine the cream and the icing sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

5. Stack the meringues between layers of cream and berries, top with banana and pour over some berry coulis to serve.

Rice Stuffed
Silverbeet Leaves

Ingredients:
Big bunch of silverbeet
(preferably about 12 leaves)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 heaped Tbls of peanut butter
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 cup rice
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 Tbls dried oregano
½ cup grated cheese (optional)
2 Tbls oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
Lightly fry the onion and cumin seeds in oil, add the
rice, fry briefly then add 2 ½ cups water and ½ a
tsp salt. Bring to the boil, turn down to a low simmer,
cover and cook for 12 mins, then turn off and leave
the pan tightly covered for a further 12 mins.
Add the peanut butter to the rice, stir to combine.
Add the cheese to the rice and peanut butter
mixture, stir to combine.
Trim the silverbeet leaves from the bunch and run
the edge of a wooden spoon along the spines of
the silverbeet, pressing firmly to crush the spines.
This makes the leaves much easier to roll up.
Divide the rice mixture between the 12 leaves
and roll them up.
Place the rolled up leaves into a shallow baking dish.
Blend the can of tomatoes with the oregano, ¼ tsp
salt and a cup of water and tip over the leaves.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 170°C for an hour.

Spinach Pikelets

500g spinach – cook, squeeze dry, puree
1 c flour
½ tsp salt
pepper
nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c milk
(optional – 3 rashers bacon fried & chopped)

Chill batter. Make 4cm pikelets or large crepes and cut up.

Serve with smoked salmon, rare beef, smoked fish, mayo as appropriate.

I serve with cream cheese and red capsicum, or cream cheese and olives.

courtesy of a message boarder xxx

Thai Chicken Balls
Makes about 50 walnut sized balls.1 kg chicken mince;80g fresh breadcrumbs;4 spring onions,sliced;1 tbsp ground coriander;50g chopped,fresh coriander;60ml sweet chilli sauce;1-2 tbsp lemon juice;oil for shallow frying. Mix the mince,and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the spring onions,ground & fresh coriander;chilli sauce & lemon juice,to taste, mix well. With wet hands,form into evenly shaped walnut-sized balls. Preheat oven to 200c.
Heat about 3cm oil in deep frying pan to 180c,or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds.Shallow fry the balls in batched over high heat until golden. Bake on baking tray for 5 mins or until cooked through.

Tiramisu Recipe

Tiramisu is probably my favourite dessert, and it's ridiculously easy to make. Seriously. A nice way to posh it up is to bake sponge cake and use that instead of sponge fingers, and then make it really neatly in a round or square cake tin, then slice it up, but I like it this way. More rustic. :)
Ingredients

* 4 eggs, separated
* 250g mascarpone
* 200g caster sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 cup freshly brewed, extra strong coffee (or 1 cup worth of espresso), cooled
* 2 tbsp liquer (I like using either Kahlua or Marsala)
* enough sponge fingers to line the base of your dish in two layers
* A small block of semi-sweet chocolate (about 1 oz should do)

This recipe made 10 ramekins worth, so it'll serve 10 as a really small dessert, or probably make 4-6 generous helpings. Combine the liquer into the espresso. Resist the urge to add more, since you really just want a hint of it - you don't want to get drunk on your dessert. Or maybe you do, in which case add the whole bottle. :

1. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and frothy. It should form ribbons when you pull the whisk through the mixture. Whisk in the mascarpone.
2. Use an electric mixer or standing mixer to whisk up the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold this into the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture.
3. Dip a sponge finger briefly (they fall apart if you soak them for too long) into the coffee and liquer mixture, then place it in the base of your dish. Repeat until the base is covered in one layer.
4. Spoon over the egg-and-cheese mix, using about half. Grate over some chocolate, then make another layer of sponge fingers, and another layer of egg-and-cheese. Grate the rest of the chocolate over, or dust with cocoa powder.
5. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or for up to one day, then serve! Easy peasy, just like I told you.

Note: If you want, you can use a smaller, higher-sided dish and make many layers. I chose to do simple two-layered ones in ramekins for easy serving.

Oh wow ! there are some great recipes there thankyou so much. I am going to print this lot out so when the next pot luck dinner comes up I won't waste half the day trying to decide what to make. I know it shouldn't be a competition and the idea of pot luck is so we can affordably spend time with friends but it is nice to make some effort and contribute something a little more than ordinary day-to-day fare. Now I will have confidence to put my dish on the table thanks to you ( I can't call you theanimal 1, unless you love animals seems an inappropriate name for someone who likes to cook !)

Wow, fabulous yummy ideas theanimal1, excuse my ignorance but where do you buy the 250g mascarpone. What section is it in at the supermarket. Many thanks.I will have to try making some of these!

Moroccan Chicken all laid out on a bed of salad and couscous.dates and oranges scattered about.It looks and tastes fantastic and is perfect hot, cold, cool.etc

Midnight Girl.marscapone is in the cheese section, up top usually near the gouda, interesting cheeses and it should be about $4.50 for 250g

Please maandapa2b will you post the Moroccan Chicken please.Animal - love your postings.

Yes please maandpa2b the Moroccan chicken sounds yummy !

animal, those recipes look great, I love the look of that brazilian banana cream cake .You are always so kind with your postings, love your recipes & ideas, many thanks for what you contribute on these threads.

If you there maandpa2b lots of us looking for your moroccan chicken recipe.please

bumping up for someone wanting ideas.

Someone requested the jelly chystal meringues - originally posted by kimkat1

3 egg whites
3/4c sugar (says caster, but I just use white)
1 pkt any flavor jelly (raspberry is really good)

Beat egg whites til soft peaks form, gradually add sugar 1 spoonful at a time, then do the same with the jelly. The mixture gets thick and shiny

Put blobs onto a tray and bake at 120c for about 40 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

I serve with a mix of whipped cream/strawberry yog.

Great to take to dinner parties/pot lucks