Sausage and Pork Casserole

This is a melt-in-the-mouth pork casserole dish which you can cook up in minutes, though it does take about an hour and a half to cook. It's perfect for a Sunday lunch.

Ingredients:
Makes 4 portions

• 4 pork chops
• 2 sausages, cut in rounds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 large potatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• dash of Rosemary infused oil or olive oil
• garlic powder
• fennel seeds
• paprika
• salt
• pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius. Layer the sliced onion on the base of the dish. Place the pork chops on top, as well as the sausage. Season the dish with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Pour the broth through the side of the dish (so as not to wash away the spices). Cover everything with the potato slices and drizzle with the rosemary infused oil and sprinkle some fennel seeds. 

Cover with foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, removing the foil in the last 10 mins so the potatoes turn crispy. 

Optionally, you can boil the potatoes until tender before putting them on the dish and then reduce the baking time accordingly. 

Turtle Get Well Soon Card

Chicken and Avocado Grilled Quesedillas

A tangy Mexican meal which can be cooked over a grill pan, or even a BBQ. 

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

For the marinade:

• 30ml (2 dollops) light mayonnaise 
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (this is quite hot! reduce if you don't like it this way)
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed 
• black pepper to season 

For the quesadillas:

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks 
• 8 cherry tomatoes (optional) 
• 1 avocado 
• 2 tbsp sweetcorn kernels (optional) 
• 30ml (2 dollops) light mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced 
• 4 flour tortillas 
• 50g reduced fat mature cheddar, grated 

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chilli flakes, oregano and garlic. Season with freshly ground black pepper and spread over the chicken. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour or longer if you have time, however even half an hour is quite fine. 

Finely chop the cherry tomatoes and avocado. Stir through the sweetcorn and the rest of the mayonnaise. Season with black pepper and the lime juice. Once the chicken is marinated, cook on a hot grill pan for about 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning frequently. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before chopping roughly and stirring through the quesadilla mixture. 

Spread the mixture evenly across half of each tortilla, sprinkle with grated cheddar and fold over the empty half of the tortilla to create a half circle, pressing down firmly. Lay the quesadillas over the grill pan and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. 

Nutrition Facts:
Calories (kcal): 450
Sugar: 2g
Fat: 27g
Sodium: 0.6g

Original Recipe

Nautical Rope Necklace and Bracelet

This necklace and bracelet set is sooo easy and fun to make. All you need is rope, a piece of matching felt, jewellery clasps and glue or a needle and thread. The instructions for the necklace are described in detail here. You can do the bracelet with some easy modifications.  

Impressionist Snood

This scarf took me ages to knit, partly because the wool is quite thin, and partly because I was starting and stopping all the time. Also, I wanted it to be quite long; it goes around the neck three times. The knitting pattern is not too hard and the pattern is lovely. I used size 10mm needles as I wanted the knit to be loose. 

Instructions:

Cast on 45 stitches. 

Row 1: Knit. 

Row 2: K1, [sl 1, k1, yo, psso 2 sts] around. 

Row 3: Knit 

Row 4: [Sl 1, k1, yo, psso 2 sts] around to last stitch k1. 

Repeat all rows until scarf has reached the desired length. Bind off. 

Pattern adapted from Original Pattern

Fisherman Ribbed Beanie

This is a warm chunky beanie which you can knit up in about 2 or 3 hours. The pattern is similar to the Chunky Mistake Rib Scarf. I used 2 skeins of 50g (about 40m) each. The Beanie is knit in the round, so I used 9mm and 10mm circular needles (40cm length). You will also need 10mm double point needles. 

Instructions:

Cast on 42 stitches with size 9mm needles (40cm circular). Join to work in the round and place marker. 

Rows 1-5: k1, p1 
Row 6: switch to size 10mm needles. K2tog, p1 below, repeat around. (28 st left) 

NOTE: On this row, when you p1 below, you will be purling into a knit stitch every other purl due to the stitch groupings of 3. Do not be alarmed. Purl into the knit stitch and continue normally. 

Row 7: k1 below (into the k2tog stitch), p1 as normal into the p1 below stitch from previous row. Repeat around. 

NOTE: This row is going to look somewhat messy. It will be about four rows of ribbing before the hat pattern starts to look ‘right’. 

Row 8: k1 as normal (into k1 below stitch), p1 below. Repeat around. 
Row 9: k1 below, p1 as normal (into p1 below stitch). Repeat around. 
Rows 10 and on: repeat rows 8 and 9 until hat measures about 17cm in length. This will be about 12 rows of fisherman rib. 

Decrease sequence: transfer to double point needles. 
Row 1-5: k1, p1 in reqular rib around. Keep these rows loose as otherwise they will bunch up from the fisherman rib.
Row 2-3: ssk, p2tog. Repeat around. You start with a ssk as the first stitch in this row (on the left needle) will be a knit).
Pass the wool through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Fasten off. 

NOTE: The decrease sequence will look wrong from the side you are knitting, however the rib pattern will be continued on the underside of the beanie. This is not a problem as the fisherman's rib pattern is reversible. 

Chunky Mistake-Rib Scarf

This is a very cosy chunky scarf which you can knit up in about 3 or 4 hours. The pattern is really easy to knit, and to spot mistakes. I used 4 skeins of 50g (about 40m) each. The needles I used were 12mm. I wanted a snood, so after I finished the scarf I joined the ends together.


Instructions:

CO 27 (23, 19) sts, or any multiple of 4 sts + 3. 

Row 1: (K2, P2) across to last st., end P1. 

Repeat Row 1 to desired scarf length. BO in pattern.

Prinjolata

The Prinjolata is a traditional Maltese dessert made during the Carnival Period. Its name derives from the pine nuts used in the recipe (prinjol in Maltese). It is made from a mixture of sponge (or biscuits), candied cherries, pine nuts and chocolate and then covered in Italian Meringue. It is quite painstaking to do from scratch, and will take most of a day's work. 

Ingredients:

Makes one Prinjolata

For the sponge:

• 4 eggs 
• 200g caster sugar 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind 
• 200g self-raising flour

For the prinjolata mixture: 

• 1 tbsp whisky 
• 50g pine nuts, roasted and chopped 
• 50g glace cherries, chopped 
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips 
• 250g softened margarine 
• 2 tbsp icing sugar 
• 1 tbsp vermouth 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Italian Meringue: 

• 75g egg whites (from 2 large eggs)
• 150g sugar 
• 45g water 
• pinch of cream of tartar or 1/8 tsp lemon juice

For decorating: 

• glace cherries, halved
• chocolate, melted 
• pine nuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. For the sponge, beat together using a mixer the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and grated lemon rind for about 8 minutes or until a smooth soft mixture is formed. Add the flour to the mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin. Bake the sponge until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely. 

For the prinjolata filling, break the sponge into very small pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle the whiskey over the sponge pieces. Add the chopped pine nuts, glace cherries and chocolate bits; mix well. Using a mixer, beat the margarine and sugar until a smooth mixture is formed. Add the cake mixture, vanilla extract and vermouth and beat together using a mixer. Mould the mixture in the form of a dome and place on a plate. You can do this easily by covering a bowl with cellophane and then turning the bowl upside down. 

For the Italian Meringue, combine sugar and water in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. The temperature should be 116 degrees Celsius. In the meantime, start whisking the egg whites with the cream of tartar or lemon juice in a clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Bring sugar syrup to 121 degrees Celsius. This should be the hard ball stage, that is, when you drop some sugar syrup into cold water, the sugar should form into a hard ball. Increase the mixer speed to high and, with motor running, gradually pour syrup into meringue. Beat at medium speed until cooled to room temperature and meringue is thick and glossy, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Cover the prinjolata dome with the meringue. There is no need for it to be perfectly smooth. Put the halved glace cherries on top along with the pine nuts, and drizzle with the melted chocolate.  

Prinjolata recipe from Original Recipe
Italian Meringue recipe from Original Recipe

Rosemary Pasta Bake

This is a very easy pasta bake recipe passed on to me by my boyfriend's mum. 

Ingredients:
Makes 4 portions

• 400g pasta, cooked
• 150g mozzarella, chopped into cubes
• 150g bacon (or ham), cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 400g tin tomato puree
• breadcrumbs (optional)
• salt
• pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius. Mix all ingredients except the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Put everything into a baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and crispy on top.