It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I love Christmas, I am one of those people that can't wait to put up my tree, I hang Christmas lights (that kind of stay up all year, or until they stop working) and  it's just a fun time of the year. You get to spend time with your family, feeling grateful for all that you have been blessed with.

It's summer in Australia at Christmas so we need a few cold refreshments to help us celebrate during the festivities.

Here I have a few of my favourite Christmas cocktails. Hope you love them as much as we do.

Holly Daze

This ones fun, and really nice to drink. Originally we made this with whipped cream, but we prefer it with ice cream.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml vodka
20ml banana liqueur
20ml midori
vanilla ice cream
ice

Shake the vodka, banana liqueur, midori and ice in a cocktail shaker. 

Place a scoop of ice cream into a cocktail glass of your choice, I like the one pictured. 

Strain the vodka mix over the ice cream.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Party on the Beach

Here is one of my favourite cocktails. It is beautiful-to look at and to drink. Very refreshing, lovely to drink on a hot summers day.

Here is how you make it: 

Serve 1

30ml vodka
30ml peach schnapps
1 dash grenadine
150ml orange juice
Ice
Shake vodka, schnapps, juice and ice in a cocktail shaker.

Pour grenadine in a chilled cocktail glass and strain the mixture on top carefully.

Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't have a cocktail shaker (or can't find it like me), just make it all straight in your glass, works beautifully both ways. And I really never strain it, as I love sucking on ice cubes, and I love my cocktails really cold.

Enjoy!
​

Santa's Strawberry Sensation

This is a simple one, it has a touch of elegance to it.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8
​
450g strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon icing sugar
160ml vodka
1 bottle of sparkling wine
crushed ice

Blend strawberries and icing sugar in a blender until pureed. Pass through a fine sieve. Cover and chill.

Half fill champagne glasses with crushed ice. Divide chilled strawberry puree among the flutes. Top each with 1 tablespoon of vodka and fill with sparkling wine.

Enjoy!
​

Prancer's Punch

We tried this one with soda water the first time we made as per recipe, but felt it needed some sweetness so changed the recipe to top it with lemonade instead. We enjoyed this one.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml light rum
60ml dark rum
30ml lime juice
1/4 teaspoon triple sec
dash grenadine
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
top up with lemonade

Combine all ingredients except lemonade in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass half filled with crushed ice. Top up with lemonade, to taste.

​Enjoy!
​

Mistletoe Margarita

You can't go wrong with a margarita and this one is delicious.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

40ml tequila
20ml grand marnier
20ml lime juice

Shake all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.

Spread salt onto a sheet of baking paper or on a plate. Using the limes that you squeezed, rub a little lime onto the rim of your glass, dip the rim of the glass into the salt .

Strain into your salt rimmed cocktail glass. 

​Enjoy!
​

Santa's Boozy Watermelon Slushy

Now this cocktail is not only easy to make, but it is good. This is refreshing and just the perfect party drink in summer. It really is a festive Christmas cocktail.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 2-4, depends on glass size

1kg piece seedless watermelon, chilled
½ cup orange-flavoured liqueur
1 tablespoon grenadine
2 teaspoons lime juice
4 cups crushed ice
Small watermelon wedges, to serve
Lime wedge, to serve
​
Method 1-No Pulp: Cut rind from watermelon and discard. Chop watermelon into pieces. You need 600g (about 4 cups). Place in a blender. Blend until pureed. Strain through a sieve into a large jug to give 2 cups watermelon juice. Discard pulp. 

Add liqueur, grenadine and lime juice to watermelon puree. Stir well.
​
Just before serving, place 1 cup crushed ice in each glass (1 cup-capacity) Divide watermelon mixture over the ice. Decorate with small wedges of watermelon.
​

Method 2: With Pulp: Cut rind from watermelon and discard. Chop watermelon into pieces. You need 600g (about 4 cups). Place in a blender. Blend until pureed.

Add liqueur, grenadine and lime juice and ice to watermelon puree. Blend until the ice is crushed.

​Divide watermelon mixture into your serving glasses. Decorate with small wedges of watermelon and lime.
​
Enjoy!
​

White Christmas

So easy, two ingredients and a blender. This is so refreshing.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8

1 litre passionfruit sorbet
750ml prosecco

Place half the sorbet and half of the prosecco in a blender and blitz until combined. Pour into 4 champagne flutes. Repeat with remaining sorbet and prosecco.

Enjoy!

North Pole Iceberg

I really love this one, one of my favourites.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

30ml cointreau
30ml gin
1/4 lime, juiced
sparkling wine
Blue curacao
1 cup ice

Blend cointreau, gin, lime juice and ice in a blender. Pour into chilled glass. Top with sparkling wine and drizzle with blue curacao.

​Enjoy!
​

Cracker Cosmo

We really liked this one, easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 2

10ml Citron Vodka
20ml Vodka
30ml Cointreau
60ml Cranberry Juice
1 lime wedge
1 cup ice

Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lime.

Enjoy!
​

Watermelon Wonderland

A lovely summer Christmas Cocktail.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 8

​125ml white rum
60ml triple sec
500g watermelon (peeled & chopped)
1 teaspoon grenadine
ice

Blend all ingredients except ice until smooth. Divide the ice among glasses. Pour watermelon mixture over ice cubes. Garnish with a watermelon slice.

Enjoy!
​

Mistletoe Mojito

A classic, an absolute favourite of mine.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml light rum
1 lime, juiced
2-4 sprigs of mint
2 teaspoons caster sugar
soda water
ice

Lightly muddle the mint & sugar with a splash of soda with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar dissolves. Squeeze the lime into the glass, add rum and shake with ice. Strain over cracked ice in a highball glass. Top with soda water, garnish with mint.

Enjoy!
​

Salty Reindeer

​To be honest, this isn't my favourite, I would prefer sugar on the rim, but then it would be a sweet reindeer, not a salty one. It was still good, just not a favourite.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

​60ml gin
grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
lime
ice

Dip a lime moistened glass rim into salt. Pour gin over ice in glass. Fill with grapefruit juice to taste. Garnish with a slice of lime.

​Enjoy!
​

The Grinch

This is a fun one. It's Christmas, there's always a grinch.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
40ml lemon vodka
30ml melon liqueur
40ml sweet and sour mix
20ml lime cordial
lemonade
soda water
ice

Mix all ingredients except lemonade and soda water. Strain into a glass with a couple of ice cubes and fill with equal parts lemonade and soda water. Garnish with a lemon circle.

Enjoy!
​

Mrs Claus' Margarita

This was fabulous, we loved it.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
30ml tequila
15ml cointreau
30ml fresh lime juice
30ml bottled pineapple juice
4 fresh mint leaves
1 cup ice cubes

Combine ingredients in jug of a blender, blend on high speed until well combined. Pour mixture into a salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a small wedge of lemon and a sprig of mint.

Enjoy!
​

North Pole Iced Tea

This one we loved and it such a beautiful blue colour.

This is how you make it:

Serves 1

​20ml gin
20ml vodka
20ml white rum
20ml cointreau
20ml blue curacao
lemonade
ice

Build in a highball glass, add ice to glass. Add gin, vodka, white rum, cointreau and blue curacao, fill with lemonade. Serve with a wedge of lime.

​Enjoy!

Christmas Cranberry Crush

This is so good, a alcohol based slushy, divine. It is very refreshing, very easy to sip on, and perfect for a warm Australian Christmas.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 6 

250ml vodka
250ml cranberry juice
200ml cold sugar syrup
6 large limes, juiced

In a large jug add the vodka, cranberry juice, sugar syrup and lime juice, mix well.

Pour into a large container, cover and freeze overnight.

Once frozen, stir and spoon into glasses.

Serve with a wedge of lime.
​
Enjoy!
​

Frosty's Frozen Daiquiri

I love frozen cocktails, they are just perfect on a hot summers day, and this one is delicious.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

45ml Bacardi
30ml fresh lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
2 cups of ice

Pour all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Pour into your serving glass.

Garnish with a lemon circle.
​
Enjoy!

Star Strawberry Daiquiri

We love daiquiri's in our house, and this one is delicious.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
60ml white rum
30ml strawberry liqueur or creme de fraises
30ml lemon juice
ice (crushed)
4 strawberries

Pour the rum, strawberry liqueur, lemon juice, strawberries and ice into a blender. Process for 20 seconds till ice is completely crushed. Pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with a strawberry.

Enjoy!
​

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 4-6

5 cups full cream milk
1 ½ cups caster sugar
1 large cinnamon stick
10 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup white rum
Pinch of ground cinnamon

I​n a 3-4 litre saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and cinnamon stick. Place over a medium-low fire, stirring often, heat until it comes to a full boil. Turn off heat and remove the cinnamon stick.

Immediately, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly, add the hot milk, whisking rapidly at the same time, until all the liquid has been incorporated.

Place the mixture back into the pan and return to the stove over very low heat. Stirring frequently, continue cooking, not boiling, for another 5 minutes. Make sure that at this point it does not boil, because it will curdle.

Remove from the stove and let it cool. Add the vanilla and rum and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator overnight and serve in your favorite holiday glass, sprinkle the top with the ground cinnamon.
​
Enjoy!
​

Happy Hurricane

This is the colour of Christmas in a glass. 

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1
​
45ml dark rum
45ml light rum
30ml passionfruit syrup
45ml orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon grenadine
ice

Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange circle and cherry.

​Enjoy!

Pink Snowball

This one we had instead of dessert after dinner. It is so good.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
40ml licor 43 (cuarenta y tres)
20ml kahlua
fresh strawberries, about 4
vanilla ice cream, about 2 scoops

Mix licor 43, kahlua, strawberries and ice cream in blender until smooth and serve. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

​Enjoy!

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8-10

Ice
500ml Vodka
900ml Lemonade
900ml Raspberry and Cranberry juice
Fresh mixed berries
​
Chill all ingredients in advance.
Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl.
Add fruit.
​Serve over ice.

Enjoy!

Gin-gle Bells Sparkling Punch

This is a great summer party drink and as Christmas is in summer for us, this is a great Christmas Party drink. It's so easy to throw together and looks so festive.

Here is how you make it: 
​
Serves 10

​125g punnet raspberries
2 limes, thinly sliced
1 cup dry gin
750ml bottle sparkling crisp apple juice, chilled
375ml can lemonade, chilled
750ml bottle sparkling rose wine, chilled

Berry Ice Cubes:
250g punnet strawberries, hulled
600ml bottle raspberry flavoured soft drink
​
To make berry ice cubes, cut strawberries into quarters. Divide half the strawberries among two x 12-hole ice cube trays. Fill with raspberry soft drink. Freeze. Reserve remaining strawberries in a covered container in the fridge. 

Up to 1 hour before serving, combine raspberries, lime, gin, apple juice and reserved strawberries in a large serving jug. Cover and refrigerate to chill.

Just before serving, add lemonade, rose and berry ice-cubes. Serve immediately. 
​
Enjoy!
​

Frosty's Frappe

I love coffee, I love Baileys. So I love this. So if you are like me, this is such a beautiful cocktail, you need to try it

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

80ml Baileys
80-120ml milk
1 cup ice cubes
1 tablespoon instant coffee
Chocolate topping (optional)

Place the baileys, milk, ice cubes and coffee in a blender, blitz until almost smooth.

If using chocolate topping, swirl it around the rim of your glass.

Pour in the Baileys mix.
​
Enjoy!
​

Blitzen Bliss

This ones easy to drink, we loved it.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 9

250ml vodka
2 tablespoons lime juice
Angostura bitters
1 litre guava juice
1 litre dry ginger ale
1/4 cup mint leaves
ice

Mix vodka and guava juice, refrigerate until needed. When serving add dry ginger ale, lime juice, 5-6 drops of bitters, mint leaves and ice cubes.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Party Punch

We really loved this one, a great party drink. Original recipe said champagne, any sparkling wine you like to drink will work, and as I couldn't find tropical soft drink, I used tropical juice.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 20

375ml vodka
125ml malibu
750ml prosecco
250ml apple juice
500ml tropical juice
1.25ml lemonade
variety of fruits

Chill all ingredients in advance. Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Add fresh fruit and serve.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Pina Colada

This is a classic and is a great summer cocktail, drinking this always makes you feel like your on holidays.​

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

1 cup ice cubes
30ml white rum
30ml dark rum
80ml pineapple juice
20ml sugar syrup
40ml coconut cream
Dash of angostura bitters
Garnish:
Pineapple pieces and leaves
Cocktail umbrellas or frangipani flowers

In a cocktail shaker place the ice cubes, white rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, sugar syrup, coconut cream and angostura bitters. Close the lid and shake, shake, shake. Until mixed well.

Pour into your glass, add some more ice cubes if you like. Garnish with pineapple pieces and leaves.

Festive Fizz

This one my husband liked, as he does like his rakija, me and my daughter, not so much.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml slivovitz (plum brandy)
15ml lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar syrup
soda water

Blend all ingredients except the soda in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass and top up with soda.

Enjoy!
​

Santa Sling
​
This one was good to, not my absolute favourite, but would definitely make it again next Christmas.​ We originally made one with soda water, them decided to make the second one with lemonade, as we thought it needed some sweetness.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml gin
30ml cherry brandy
30ml lemon juice
soda water or lemonade
ice

Combine all ingredients except soda in a glass half filled with ice. Stir and top up with soda water or lemonade, to taste. Garnish with lemon and cherry.

Enjoy!
​

Happy Holidays

This one is fun, both in colour and in drinking it. Will definitely be having this again.​

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml white rum
30ml blue curacao
20ml coconut cream
pineapple juice
ice

Blend rum, curacao and coconut cream in a blender, to combine. Pour into a glass with ice, fill with pineapple juice. Garnish with a pineapple slice.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Eve Sunset

This one looked pretty, was it my favourite, no, but would have it again next Christmas Eve.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml tequila
30ml banana liqueur
7ml blue curacao
ice

Mix tequila and banana liqueur in mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into glass. Drop blue curacao through the centre of cocktail to achieve a two tone effect.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Day Sunrise

A classic, it always tastes good.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

60ml tequila
orange juice
dash of grenadine
ice

Put ice in a highball glass. Add the tequila and then orange juice. Top with a dash of grenadine. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Enjoy!
​

Sweet and Sour Season

This is easy to drink, festive.

This is how you make it:

Serves 1

20ml vodka
20ml midori
lemonade
cranberry juice
ice

Build over ice in a highball glass. First Midori, then vodka, then fill with equal parts lemonade and cranberry juice.

​Enjoy!

Santa's Spritzer Slushy

Think aperol spritz, but in a slushy form, and better. This is delicious. You do need to make the slushy in advance, which is great for parties, as it frees you up on the party day.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8-10

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 4 to 6 oranges)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
1/3 cup sugar 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
2 cups bitter orange liqueur, such as Aperol 
1 x 750ml bottle prosecco

In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Warm over medium heat to just below a simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to help dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the liqueur. Set aside to cool completely.
​
Pour into an 20cm baking dish and freeze until completely frozen, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
​
Scrape the surface of the frozen mixture with a fork to form large shards of ice. Spoon about 1/2 cup into champagne coupe or any glass you like and top with prosecco.

Enjoy!

Santa's Screwdriver

A classic, it always tastes good.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml vodka
Fresh orange juice
ice

Pour vodka over ice cubes in a highball glass. Top up with orange juice to taste. Garnish with an orange circle.

​Enjoy!

Merry Mulled Wine

This is more like a Christmas in July drink for us as our Christmas season is in middle of summer, but we love it, the flavours are delicious, you can taste the lemon and the orange and the cinnamon, so I added it for those that have a white Christmas.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 10

2 litres (8 cups) red wine
750ml (3 cups) water
500g (2 cups) sugar, you can reduce this amount if you like
1 orange, cut into eighths
1 small lemon, cut into eighths
3 cinnamon sticks
​
Place all of the ingredients into a large saucepan. Place over a very low heat and stir for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. After that, keep heating the wine slowly until it is almost boiling, but do not allow it to boil. The longer it is left on the heat, the better it is.

​Then sip and enjoy all night long. 

Enjoy!
​

Elves Eggnog

I love eggnog, it is so good, and so easy to throw together, this version especially. 

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml dark rum
30ml brandy
15ml sugar syrup
1 egg
90ml milk
Ice

Pour rum, brandy, sugar syrup, egg and ice into a blender, blend for about 30 seconds, until frothy and mixed well.

Pour into serving glasses and top up with milk.

Enjoy!

Santa's Sugar Syrup

This is used in many cocktails, is easy to make. I store mine in the refrigerator.
​

Here is how you make it:

250ml white sugar
250ml cold water

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cold.
​

​This is so good, honestly one of my favourite snacks. I know it's called a dip, but I make this for myself for lunch. 

The recipe can be halved, doubled, add things, take things out, it's just so easy.

I think pictured this one doesn't have corn in it, as my son doesn't like corn and I made it for him, but for me I would definitely add the corn.

I use cherry tomatoes and quarter them, as I like the dip chunky. If you prefer, you can use 2 ripe large tomatoes, seeded, and finely chopped, for a less chunky dip.

This is something that needs to be tried at your next party.

​Recipe adapted from Woman's Day 'Easy Kids' Party Food'

Serves 8-10

4 avocados, seeded, peeled
1/4 cup sour cream
425g can tuna, dtrained, flaked
310g can corn kernels, drained
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 green onions, thinly sliced

​230g packet plain corn chips, to serve


In a large bowl, mash together avocado and sour cream. Stir in tuna, corn, tomatoes and green onions. Season to taste.

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​When I first saw this recipe I thought it would be something my family loved, what I didn't expect was that they would love it as much as they did. This is a simple pasta, but it has a lot of flavour.

Once my family started eating this, they couldn't stop, even my husband who I didn't really think would love it, did. Even leftovers were done by the end of the night, my son kept going back to the fridge throughout the night.

With the capsicums, you can use two red capsicums if yellow is not available, the yellow would only be for colour really.

I found the basil and oregano Italian tin diced tomatoes in Aldi, if you can't find it, just add a 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and dried oregano to regular diced tomatoes.

A truly easy mid week meal idea my family loved, hope yours does to.

Recipe adapted from www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/ 

Serves 6

150g chorizo, about 2 chorizo, sliced into 1/2cm discs
1 onion, diced
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 chicken thigh fillets, around 500g, sliced into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 x 400g tin basil and oregano Italian diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
White pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
300ml thickened cream
1 cup fresh baby spinach

500g penne pasta

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve
​
Heat the olive oil a large frying pan over high heat, add the chorizo and cook for 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and capsicums, and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
​
Add the chicken and garlic to the pan and stir around in the oil for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. 

Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. I rinse the tomato tin with about 1/3 cup water and add it to the sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit, and your chicken is cooked through, and your capsicums have softened.

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt, add pasta, cook as per packet instructions.

Whilst your pasta is cooking, add the cream to the sauce, stir through, and let it get hot, but not boil. 

Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 a cup of the pasta cooking liquid then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, add the spinach on top, then add the creamy tomato sauce on top and stir through. The residual heat of the pasta and sauce will wilt the spinach. Only add the pasta water if your sauce is too thick and needs thinning. Once the spinach has wilted, it's ready to serve.

Serve immediately with parmesan.

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​Recipe adapted from ​www.taste.com.au/ 

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
4 teaspoons cornflour
1kg beef rump steak, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
6cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
2 long fresh red chillies, halved, deseeded, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g snow peas, trimmed, halved
125ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons caster sugar
​
Steamed white rice, to serve
Fresh Coriander, to serve, optional

​Combine the soy sauce, sherry and cornflour in a bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes to marinate.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add half the oil and heat until just smoking. Swirl to coat. Stir-fry the beef in batches for 2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef, reheating wok between batches. You may need to wipe the wok with a wet paper towel every now and then to remove any build up of marinade in the wok base.

Stir-fry the ginger, chilli and garlic in the wok for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the snow peas and stock. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the snow peas are bright green and tender crisp. Stir in the beef, oyster sauce and sugar. Taste for seasoning, I like to add white pepper and salt, if needed.

​Serve with rice.

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​This is something I recently made for my kids for lunch and they loved it. It's easy to make and is filling.

You can slice the frittata in the pan if easier. The first slice is generally the hardest to get out, but after that, it's easy enough.

With kids home at the moment more than ever, it's dishes like these that keeps them fed and happy.

So far I have made it only with spinach as my kids love it with spinach, but as I love rocket, I will need to try it with rocket to.

My family loved this, hope yours does to.

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Light'

Serves 8

5 large (1.5kg) potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (450g) cured chorizo sausages, sliced thinly
1 large (200g) brown onion, sliced thinly
50g baby rocket leaves or baby spinach leaves, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 cup (120g) grated cheddar
12 eggs
300ml pouring cream
lemon wedges and extra rocket, to serve


Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until just tender. When cool enough to handle, peel skins, then cut flesh into 1cm cubes.
​
​Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan forced). Grease a deep 24cm x 35cm baking pan, line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 7cm above sides.
​
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and onion, cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chorizo is browned. Cool 10 minutes.

Combine potatoes, half the chorizo mixture, rocket (or spinach), parsley and cheese in baking pan.
​
Whisk eggs and cream together in a medium bowl, season to taste. Pour over potato mixture, top with remaining chorizo mixture. Bake, in oven, 35 minutes or until set. (To check, insert a skewer; no wet egg mixture should be visible.) Cool in pan.

Lift frittata out of the pan onto a chopping board, trim edges. Cut into 3.5cm x 4.5cm pieces. Serve topped with extra rocket and accompany with lemon wedges.

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​2020 is a year where two of my kids, who are 18 and 19 should be going to university and going out. Instead it has been a year of studying at home and going out, sometimes. So with that in mind, I try to find interesting lunch ideas for them (so that at least the time spent at home is made a little better with food). 

This dish was loved by all my kids (I also have a 13 year old that goes to school). It has a fresh flavour, different to my cumin based Mexican style dishes. I did consider adding cumin, but then decided I didn't want to make all my Mexican dishes taste the same.

This is quick to make and tastes really nice, my family loved it, hope yours does to.

​Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Light'

Serves 4
​
1 tablespoon olive oil
500g pork mince
1 medium red onion (170g), chopped finely
4 clove garlic, crushed
1 fresh long green chilli, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon lime juice
8 x 20cm flour tortillas
2 cup coarsely grated cheddar
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
​
To serve:
4 lime wedges, to serve
Fresh guacamole
Pico de Gallo
Sour Cream


Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook pork, onion, garlic, chilli and paprika, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add 1 can of tomatoes and and 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped, to taste; cook for 5 minutes. Add lime juice; season to taste.

Spread tortillas flat on a work surface. Spoon mince mixture equally onto the centre of each tortilla, sprinkle 1 cup cheddar equally over mince mixture; fold tortillas to enclose filling. Place, join-side down, in a single layer, in a 20cm x 30cm shallow ovenproof dish. Spoon over remaining can of tomatoes, leaving the ends of the tortilla exposed, sprinkle with remaining cheddar.

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​My family love an all in one kind of salad, where you add meat to your salad. This one was absolutely delicious. The cashew nam jim was perfect with the beef and the asian greens.

Now I cooked my beef rare, just cook yours longer if you prefer it cooked more.

​This is a great dish, it looks amazing and it's fresh flavour leaves a delicious taste in your mouth with every bite.

My family loved this, hope your does to.

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Light'

Serves 4

800g thick-cut beef rump steak
1 tablespoon peanut oil
350g gai lan
270g baby pak choy or bok choy, trimmed, quartered
100g snow peas
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/4 cup (40g) unsalted roasted cashews, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh coriander sprigs
​
Cashew Nam Jim:
2 shallots (50g), chopped
2 clove garlic
3 fresh long green chillies, seeded, chopped
2 fresh coriander roots, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoon grated dark palm sugar
1/3 cup (50g) unsalted roasted cashews
1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice, approximately
1 tablespoon fish sauce, approximately


​Make cashew nam jim: Blend shallots, garlic, chilli, coriander root, ginger, sugar and cashews (or pound with a mortar and pestle) until mixture forms a paste. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in juice and fish sauce to taste.​

​Trim fat from beef; rub beef with oil, season to taste. Cook beef on a heated oiled grill plate (or grill or barbecue) over medium-high heat for 4 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Remove from heat; rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then slice thickly.
​
Meanwhile, trim gai lan stalks; cut stalks from leaves. Steam stalks, in a single layer, in a large steamer over a wok or large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Place separated pak choy on top; steam (or boil) for a further 2 minutes. Add snow peas and gai lan leaves; steam  (or boil) for a further 2 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

Place vegetables on a platter, top with beef; drizzle with beef resting juices. Spoon nam jim on beef; top with green onion, cashews and coriander.

To save the recipe to your favourites go www.whatscookingella.com/beef-with-cashew-nam-jim-and-asian-greens.html 
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​If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #whatscookingella