Kate's Crazy Culinary Creations

I was very excited yesterday when I went shopping and found 'Lactose Free Cream Cheese.' I am lactose intolerant and cream cheese is something that can not be substituted. With my tub of cream cheese in hand I returned home to find something to cook. I thought why not go the whole hog and do a lactose free cake. So carrot cake it is. I am a sucker for cupcakes mainly because they are easier to share and transport but this recipe can also be made into a three layered 9 inch cake. Here we go. Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius. There is a little bit of prep for this recipe, grate 3 cups of carrot, crop 1 cup of walnuts, measure out 1 cup of shredded coconut and half a cup of currants. In another bowl sift together 2 cups of plain flour, half a teaspoon of salt 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, baking powder and bi-carb soda. With the majority of the ingredients measured ready to go, put 1 cup of canola oil and 2 cups of sugar in your bench mixer on low-medium speed. Beat until ...

The most important part of this recipe in my eyes has nothing to do with the food and everything to do with the presentation. There is nothing better than the sizzle and smell of the chicken as it is placed on the table in front of you. There is really nothing to difficult about this recipe. The hardest thing for me was finding a sizzle plate. And when I found them I bought two. To make things easier for you I will let you in on the secret, BBQ Galore's Sizzle Plate , they are only $19.95 and come with the timber base and a handle cover (extremely handy.) Now to the recipe. Cut 2 chicken breasts into 2-3 cm pieces. Marinate the pieces in a bowl with: 2 tbs lime juice 1/4 chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 2 tbs olive oil Mix together and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate for half an hour. Slice up a brown onion and cut up 1 red capsicum into similar sized pieces.and set aside. Also put the sizzle plate in ...

I had some of my family around for Mexican last weekend. My family has eaten Mexican for as long as I can remember. But like most Aussie families that included Nachos and Tacos made from a kit bought at the supermarket. After visiting the USA about 5 years ago my eyes were opened to the huge variety of dishes that can be created.  I love the fact that Mexican incorporates so much fresh produce and is relatively quick to cook, also makes it a good option for a family dinner or a dinner party. For our Mexican night we started with Beef nachos. First I made the Beef mince mixture. (This can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.) In a large fry pan heat a tablespoon of Olive oil. Add 500 grams of Beef mince. Using a wooden spoon to separate the beef, brown beef until cooked through. Once cooked add a sachet of Taco mix, a third of a cup of tomato sauce and a cup of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced and the sauce has thickened. O...

I have been trying some Nigella Lawson recipes of late. I bought her book 'Kitchen' last Christmas and finally started trying some of the creations. I really like this book because it has a huge variety of recipes for all skill levels. The overall structure of the book is different to any other cook book I have seen. It is not split into meals, but has a little bit of every thing through out the book. Well now to the Chicken. While looking through 'Kitchen' I can across a recipe for Tarragon Chicken. Overall it was a fairly basic recipe but it is full of flavour and the sauce is amazing. I served mine with some steamed rice and Broccolini. (See picture below.) I am a sucker for Broccolini and during winter love steamed vegetables, especially with a sauce or gravy. For me this was the first time that I had poached chicken and I was surprised about how much favour was absorbed by the chicken. I simply heated 2 teaspoons of garlic oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat....