Monday 6 January 2014

frozen mango and lime cheesecake

one of my awesome friends - mat is a fabulous cook and the dessert king.  naturally he was my go to person for a recipe for my christmas dessert. 
 
the lovely veronica loves archie requested the recipe so here it is...
(adapted from taste.com)
 
frozen mango and lime cheesecake
 
 
125g plain sweet biscuits (i used a gluten free coconut biscuit)
60g butter, melted
2 x 250g packets of light cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar (or finely ground rapidura)
zest of one lime
300ml light cream
2 mangoes - sliced
3 passionfruit - halved
 
grease round spring form pan, line the base and sides with baking paper.
 
place the biscuits in a food processor and process until finely chopped, move to a bowl and add the melted butter and mix to combine. press the biscuit mixture evenly over the base of the lined pan. place in the fridge while making the filling. (i doubled the base mixture)
 
using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese until smooth. add the sugar and lime zest and beat for a further few minutes. add the cream and beat for another 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and smooth. chop the mangoes up and add half of the flesh to a food processor and mix until smooth. fold the mango into the cream cheese mixture with the remainder of the chopped mango.
 
spoon the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base and cover with cling wrap and if you can place a rubber band over the cling wrap and place the cheesecake in the freezer overnight or until set.
 
remove the cheesecake from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. top with the passionfruit pulp and enjoy.

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Wednesday 20 November 2013

speedy dinners

as most of you would know - donna hay is one of my food heroes, a massive home grown inspiration. i love the simplicity donna captures when it comes to preparing week night dinners, she always manages to balance flavours and textures with minimal ingredients.
 
one dinner that caught my attention when flipping through the newest edition on the weekend was #4 - sticky pork with chilli sweet potato and lime.  i love that this recipe is so healthy - protein, fresh salad and a small serve of carbohydrates.
 
last night after a few minor additions i sat down to a truly satisfying dinner - here it is.....
 
 sticky pork with chilli sweet potato and a salad of spinach, bean sprouts, cucumber and lime
serves 2
 
2 medium sweet potatoes (approx 200g)
1tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
sea salt and pepper
sprinkle of sesame seeds
 
1 x 350g pork fillet
1 tbsp kekap manis
1tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
2cm knob of ginger - finely grated
sprinkle of sesame seeds
  
1/2 packet of baby spinach
1/2 packet bean sprouts
1/2 lebanese cucumber - sliced thinly (you could even peel slices)
1/2 bunch of finely chopped coriander
1/2 bunch of finely chopped mint
lug of olive oil or a small dash of sesame oil
1 lime - juiced
 
heat the oven to 220 degrees C.
 
to prepare the sweet potato - peel and slice thinly, mix through the olive oil, salt and pepper, dried chilli flakes and lay down on a flat baking tray in one layer and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
 
 
 
make the pork marinade by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. brush the pork with the marinade all over and place on top of the sliced sweet potato. bake in the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the sweet potato start to crisp on the outside.
 
while the pork and sweet potato are cooking, mix together the salad ingredients in a bowl and dress with a lug of olive oil or the tiniest bit of sesame oil.  
 
 
 
once the pork is cooked, remove and slice up. dress the salad with the lime juice, plate it, top with the pork and add a side of the crisp chilli sweet potato.
 
 all photos are my own @thingswinspire
 
enjoy all you awesome home cooks out there. just double if you have a family or are cooking for more than two people.
 
if you want any more inspiration - grab a copy of donna's newest magazine on sale now - there is a baked fish with tomato and fennel i'm going to try out next...
 
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Tuesday 19 November 2013

who & what


 















 
depends what day it is, perfect prism, they all hate us, beautiful nomad
 
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Thursday 24 October 2013

all of our wildest times



















they all hate us, depends what day it is, a momentary happiness 
 
wow life has been completley hectic over the last few months. but how is this change of season, it feels like summer, bring it on...
 
things i'm loving about life right now are
 
sunny days
beaufiful family time
amazing friends, international and interstate phone calls
social activities
bbq's on my patio
marinades for the bbq (i'll blog about this soon!)
amazing afternoon breezes
days are gone - haim (favourite song - if i could change your mind)
lara and sam
the return of the maxi dress
weekends at the beach - swimming in the ocean - salty hair - sand between my toes
early morning sculpt classes and lunch time pilates
trying out different white wine varieties - loving a pinot gris and a chardonnay (shock horror!)
amazing salad combinations
 
the list goes on.... enjoy your day lovers xx
 
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