Mini Baked Cheesecakes

Makes
10


Ingredients

Base
7 x digestive biscuits
50g butter, melted (the amount you need may vary, depending on the type of biscuits you use)

Filling
250g cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 tablespoons plain yoghurt

Toppings
Mixed berries or any seasonal berries
Icing sugar for dusting




Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Line 10 holes of a muffin pan (1/3 cup capacity holes) with muffin cases.

Finely crush biscuits in a zipped lock bag. Add melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and work it with your fingers until well combined.

Divide biscuit mixture evenly among cases, firmly press mixture down with the back of a teaspoon until smooth. Set bases aside while making the filling.




Beat cream cheese and caster sugar in an electric mixer or food processor. Stop the machine a couple of times to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl.

When the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, add egg and beat until combined. Add lemon juice and cream and beat until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among cases.

Bake cheesecakes for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes.



Remove cheesecakes from pan, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Cheesecakes are ready to serve when they are cold and set. Remove cases before serving.

Finally add your favourite berries on top with a bit of icing sugar.

Cheesecakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. They are suitable to freeze.

A Table For Two Photography Workshop

Hours of fun, happy snappy and delicious food!
It was @ Mumu Grill, Crows Nest // Saturday 30th 11 - 3:30pm

Thanks to Billy Law a Sydney food blogger who loves food, who likes to eat and cook food. He is also an amazing food photographer with some handy tips and tricks up his sleeves.

Check out a table for two @ http://www.atablefortwo.com.au/

Mumu Grill did a fantastic job, presenting us a variety of entree, tender beef, juicy chook and a delicious/fragrant ginger cake I have ever tasted. Just Yum!!!

Here are some of the action shots from my 1st attempt...

Nigella Lawson's Easy Cheesecake

Ingredients:
125g digestive biscuits
75g soft butter
300g cream cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
60g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250ml double cream
Half x St Dalfour Spread 284g (Black Cherry / Wild Blueberries)
1 x punnet of fresh strawberries, diced into small pieces

Preparation

1. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the butter and whiz again to make the mixture clump.

2. Press this mixture into a 20cm springform tin; press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge.

3. Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.

4. Lightly whip the double cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.

5. Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Put it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

6. When you are ready to serve the cheesecake, unmould it and spread the wild blueberries & diced fresh strawberries over the top.

Lamb Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 kg of minced lamb
1 big red onion (finely chopped)
a handful of garlic (finely chopped)
1 egg
1 slice of bread soaked in 1/4 cup of milk
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp allspice
1 tbsp sweet paprika
salt & pepper to taste
oil for frying

Sauce
1 can of passata sauce
1 red onion (minced)
a few cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp harrisa paste
salt and pepper to taste


Method

For the meatballs


Mix lamb and all Meatballs ingredients into a bowl and work everything thoroughly with your hands. Cover with wrap and let it rest for half and hour in the fridge.



Then roll in your hands to form the meatball.




Pre-fry meatballs with a bit of oil until brown. Set aside to rest for 5mins.
Add meatballs into the sauce and let it simmer for 20mins.
Ready to serve.

For the sauce
Cook onions and garlic with a pinch of salt until soften then add cumin and sweet paprika, cook for a few mins.
Add passata sauce then wine and let it simmer for 30mins or reduced to a thick sauce.
Add meatballs and let it simmer for another 20mins.

Rice Paper Rolls with Tuna

Ingredients

Part - A
250g canned tuna (in olive oil)
3 tbs of hommus
a squeeze of lemon juice
a squeeze of mayo
1 small cheek of red onions (finely chopped)
a handful of parsley (finely chopped)

Part - B
1 packet of medium to large round Rice Paper wrappers
a bunch of mint leaves
a bunch of coriander leaves
1 small carrots finely julienne (for extra bite and crunch marinate carrots in half cup of vinegar and 1 tbs of sugar for a few hours)
1 small Lebanese cucumber halved lengthways, then thinly sliced on diagonal
2 cups of shredded lettuce

Part - C (dipping sauce)Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
Crushed Peanut to serve
A dash of chilli paste*

Method
Arrange all Part A and Part B, shredded lettuce, mint, coriander, cucumber, carrots on a large platter and place on the table, alongside the rice wrapper.
Place a large bowl of hot water on the table.
To wrap the rolls, soften the rice paper wrappers in hot water and shake off any excess water. Place the wrapper on a plate, top with a little tuna mix, cucumber, mint, carrorts, lettuce, and coriander in the middle and roll up carefully.
Served with dipping sauce.

*optional.

Harissa Lamb with couscous and dukkah carrots

Ingredients

Harissa Lamb
500g lamb backstraps
A pinch of cumin
A pinch of salt
Harissa paste




CousCous
1 cup of couscous
1 cup of chicken stock
a pinch of cumin
a pinch of sweet paprika
a pinch of salt
a handful of corriander
a handful of parsley
a handful of mint
a hand ful of mixed roasted nuts and sesame seeds
a dash of olive oil




Roasted Carrots with Dukkah
2 large carrots
1 tbs of dukkah
1 tbs of butter
1 tps of sugar
a dash of olive oil
a pinch of salt

Banana Cupcake with lemon cream cheese frosting

Makes 12

Ingredients
11/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup vege oil
1 egg
3/4 cup milk


Icing
125g light cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 - 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree. Grease a 12x 1/3cup muffin pan or two 6x 1/3cup muffin pan.
Combine all dry ingredient and whisk in mashed banana, oil, egg and milk together. Pour into the dry ingredient and gently stir until just combined.

Spoon mixture evenly among prepared muffin holes. Bake in oven for 15mins or until skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Beat cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice until light and fluffy.
Spread to the top of each muffins and serve.