my kid's first birthday cake

Beat 125g of butter (at room temperature) with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until light and creamy, then add 1/2 cup caster sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs (one at a time) beating well after each addition. Stir in 1/3 milk and 1.5 cups of self raising flour (do this half at a time) and beat until the mixture is smooth. Spread into a lined/greased pan (you're supposed to use 2 bar tins but i just used a square pan) and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the vienna cream icing, beat 125g butter (at room temperature) until it is as white as possible. Then gradually add 1.5 cups of sifted icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk until the icing is smooth and easy to spread. Add about 6 drops of yellow food colouring.

When the cake has cooled, cut it into a 1 shape. Just keep trimming it until it's level and it looks in proportion. Decorate the cake with the icing, then half a pack of smarties.

The kid loved it! Husband rated it $1.80. The kid's uncle said the cake would have have been better as a lamington - you can't win them all...

choc hazelnut bread and butter pudding

preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
Remove the crust off a loaf of day-old bread. Spread each slice with butter on one side and nutella on the other. Roll into scrolls with the nutella on the outside and put into an ovenproof dish.
In another bowl combine 4 eggs, 1.5 cup cream and 1.5 cup milk and then strain into another jug/bowl. To this, add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2/3 cup of caster sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then pour half this mixture over the bread. Leave it to soak for 10 minutes, then add the remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of dark choc chips then bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until the egg mixture is set.
Husband rated this $1.75; the kid liked it; and my friend P must have liked it too since she had a second helping.

meatballs

To make the meatballs, combine 500g minced beef, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan, 1 clove chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix thoroughly, then shpae them into tiny teaspoon-sized balls. Place them on a baking tray then when they're all rolled (about 50) put them in the fridge to set.
To make the sauce, dice 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Heat a deep wide pan with 15g butter and brown the onion-garlic mixture and cook for about 10 minutes (low heat so it doesn't burn). Add 700g passata (or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes) and half the amount again in water, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and some salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, then add 125ml full cream milk and bring to the boil. Drop the meatballs in one by one, but don't stir the pan until they have cooked otherwise they'll fall apart. Cook the meatballs and sauce for 20 minutes, partially covered with a lid. Serve with spaghetti or over rice.
I forgot to add salt to these, so not as nice as usual. Husband still rated it $1.80 but maybe that was because he helped me roll the meatballs. The kid loves these. I always freeze the leftovers for her for later.

ham and corn mini quiches

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and prepare a muffin tray by spraying it with some oil. Defrost some frozen puff pastry and cut it into 9 squares. Press a piece of puff pastry into the muffin holes.
Combine 100g thinly sliced leg ham, the kernels from one cobb of corn (or one small tin), 1 egg, some sliced spring onion, 1/4 cup cream, 1/4 cup milk (or if you ran out of milk like me, just 1/2 cup cream... even yummier!) and some grated cheddar cheese. Evenly distribute this mix into the pastry shells and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. This is so easy to prepare I can do it while feeding the kid dinner and washing the dishes.
Husband gave this $1.50. He had 2, I had 7. I obviously rate this higher than he did. The kid didn't get to try any. She doesn't really like puff pastry or ham, so I don't think it would be a winner with her either.

claypot rice

Marinate 450g diced chicken thigh fillet with 4 large shitake mushrooms (I used fresh, but it would have been better with some dried ones that have been softened in warm water), a spoon of chopped ginger, 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a claypot and saute 2 thinly sliced chinese sausages until fragrant. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic (I just used stuff from the jar) and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken, mushroom and marinade and cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of washed rice, 1.5 cup of water and 1.5 cups of chicken stock. (At this stage, I also added a piece of left over salted fish, but I don't think this really added anything to the dish so I wouldn't bother next time)

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to as low as it can go and cook for 20 minutes. When the rice is done, stir in 2 thinly sliced spring onions.

Husband gave me full marks for this. And the kid loved it too. She ate heaps of it even though she had already had half an avocado, a tub of yoghurt, some penne with cheese sauce, some leftover chicken, grapes, apples and passionfruit for dinner.

miso salmon tofu post updated

this one has a new picture: check it out:
http://tipthechef.blogspot.com/2011/04/miso-ramen-with-salmon-and-silken-tofu.html