The thing about dinner is it comes around every single night! No sooner have you finished patting yourself on the back for a job well done- meal planned, shopped for, cooked, eaten, dishes done (phew... I am tired just thinking about it) and POW you are getting asked- What's for dinner tonight? It can be hard to think of new and exciting things to eat every night, so I figure us mums have gotta stick together. I am sharing my ideas so hopefully that helps..

This is not a meal that you need a Bellini or Thermomix or equivalent to make- however I  use it to prepare most meals so the instructions are there. If you want to make your breadcrumbs in the food processor (or buy them prepared) and make your mash over the stove, I am sure it will work out just as nicely.

A fortnight ago we went out for lunch. My 6 year old was having a sleep over at Nana's house so it was just me, hubby and the baby. We went to a bar that does American Style BBQ. Oh boy was it amazing! So much so that I have been salivating every time I think of it. It's not the kind of place I can just hang out with both kids, so I have tried to recreate a little of the experience here...

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts
750g Sweet potoato
4 corn cobs
4 pieces of extra grainy multigrain bread
1 egg
1/4 cup cornflour
1/8 cup Smokey BBQ Seasoning (I used Masterfoods- in the spice rack) for chicken
1 Tbsp  Smokey BBQ Seasoning for corn
2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbsp butter/ or butter equivalent (I use olive oil spread)
2 Tbps Olive Oil

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

Cut the crusts off your bread and cut into small squares. Add to jug and whizz on speed 7 for 7 seconds. Voila perfect breadcrumbs.

Put them in a bowl and mix in your smokey BBQ seasoning.

In a separate bowl whisk your egg.

On a chopping board fillet your chicken breast so you have 4 fairly evenly sized breast fillets. Place a sheet of baking paper over the top of them and bash them with a rolling pin to flatten them out a bit.

Now you are going to crumb your fillets. Take the flour and lightly coat each fillet on both sides. Dip it into the egg, then the crumbs (flipping over to do both sides), then place into a clean dish.

Repeat for all breast fillets, cover the dish with cling film and place in the fridge whilst you prepare the veggies.

Remove the husks from your corn cobs. Place corn onto a sheet of Al-foil. Coat with butter.

Sprinkle over your seasoning.

Wrap corn up like a bon bon. And place on an oven tray. (set aside for now).

Peel your potatos and roughly chop into 2 cm chunks. Add to the small steaming basket that goes into the jug. Fill the jug with 1 litre of water, add the steaming basket. Cook on steam temp, speed 3 for 20 minutes.

After 5 mins put your corn in the oven. Bake for 15 mins at 180 degrees celcius.

When your potatoes have been on for 10 minutes pull your chicken out of the fridge. Heat your oil in a frying pan over the stove (I use medium heat). Pan fry your chicken for 3 minutes on each side (or until cooked through.

When your potatoes are finished, use your spatula to pull out the steaming basket. empty the water and tip the potatoes into the jug. Add your sweet chilli sauce and mash for 15 seconds on speed 5.

Take your corn out of the oven and unwrap. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes: If your kids won't eat spicy (like mine) then mash some potato for them first, set aside and then add the rest of the potatoes and sweet chilli sauce as per above.

I also felt that this dish needed a little bit of green somewhere- perhaps next time I will add some steamed green beans...

What's for dinner at your house? For us it's sticky chicken noodles in the Bellini Intelli Kitchen Master. I love this dish because it's a winner with every member of the family, this means that dinner time passes without the usual arguments about eating veggies and everyone leaves the table happy! Oh and did I mention it's really tasty?

Ingredients:

400g chicken (I use breast but thighs would work just as well)
440g hokkein noodles
1 red capsicum
1 bunch spring onions
2 bunches of pak choy
200g baby corn spears
100g snow peas
1 cup vegetable stock (liquid)
 1/2 cup kecap manis
1/4 cup soy
1/4 cup honey
2tbsp peanut oil
1tbsp ground ginger
1tsp minced garlic
40g cornflour
Sprinkle of sesame seeds
Lightly dried chilli flakes to taste (optional)

Method:

Start by preparing your veggies. Cut the bottom off the pak choy to separate the leaves. Spread these over the top tray of the steaming attachment and then set aside.

Slice your capsicum into long thin strips and cut the tips off the snow peas. Place in the lower tray of the steamer attachment.

Fill the Bellini jug with 500ml of water (the first measuring mark) attach the steaming attachment with the lower tray of veggies inside. Leave out the upper tray of pak choy for now.

Clear the centre of the tray so more steam can come through. Place a sheet of baking paper under the lid.

Cook at steam temp on speed 3 for 5 mins.

Whilst the veggies are steaming dice your chicken and prepare your spring onion. Roughly chop the ends off the bunch of spring onions.

Once the steaming is finished remove steamer and set aside. Pour out the water and replace jug. Add your spring onions and chop on speed 5 for 5 seconds.

Add oil, ginger and garlic. Cook at steam temp, speed 3 for three minutes.

Add butterfly attachment then add chicken. Cook at steam temp, speed 2, 5 mins.

Add veggie stock, kecap manis, soy, honey and cornflour. Re-attach steamer with veggies (continue to leave out the pak choy)

Cook 100 degrees, speed 2 for 15 mins.

Add pak choy tray on top of lower veggies tray. Cook for further 5 mins at 100 degrees. Whilst this is cooking add hokkein noodles to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Gently separate and leave for around 3-4 minutes. Drain the noodles.

Add noodles to a large bowl, add veggies on top of noodles.  Pour over chicken/sauce and combine.

Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a light sprinkle of lightly dried chilli flakes (for the adults only). Enjoy...

So today is my nephew's 15th birthday and last night I put my hand up to make his birthday cake. I texted him to find out what flavour is his favourite but he, (being the little sweety that he is) said "whatever is easiest for you". As lovely as the sentiment is, that is not really the point of a birthday cake.

I got up this morning and scoured the Internet for some delicious looking cakes and found several that could have been a winner. When I saw this recipe from The Mother Hubard's Cupboard I knew instantly this was the one. One of my husband's most loved stories about my nephew involves him being two and telling him "and then we can all have custard!". I thought this was a fitting tribute - plus it's Cake and Custard- what's not to love?

Ingredients: (note, mine may vary slightly to Mother Hubbard's recipe due to what's in my pantry, and my own little tweaks if I feel the urge). Also this is obviously the BIKM version not the thermomix)

Custard
500g milk- I only have HiLo in the fridge today
40g sugar
50g butter (softened)
25g cornflour
25g custard powder (you can omit this and use 50g cornflour instead but I like the Colour and flavour this gives the custard
2 egg yolks
Tsp vanilla essence


Tea Cake
260g Self Raising Flour
250g Butter (softened)
140g sugar
60g Cornflour
2 eggs
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence

Method- Custard
Using your cutting blades, put sugar into bowl and blitz on speed 9 for 5 seconds
Add all other ingredients (for custard) into the bowl and cook on speed 3 at 80 degrees for 15 mins.

Cook at 100 degrees on speed 3 for 5 mins

Set aside (in the fridge) to cool down.
Note: it must be completely cooled before adding to the cake batter

Method- Cake
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 20cm springform tin with baking paper and lightly grease the sides.

Start with your sugar into the bowl and blitz on speed 9 for 10 seconds.

Add your butterfly attachment, add butter and beat butter and sugar for 30 seconds on speed 3

Add self raising flour, cornflour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla. Beat for 10 seconds on speed 3. Use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for 90 seconds on speed 3.

Remove the butterfly and pour half the batter into your prepared cake tin.

Spread your cooled custard over the batter from the middle working outwards- be sure to leave some space at the edges

Pour the remaining batter over the top of the custard.

Bake for 40 mins. Take out of the oven and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and decorating with a dusting of icing sugar and some sliced strawberries- mmmm delicious.

I wanted to get a photo of this cake sliced- but I wasn't quick enough. It was absolutely delicious and a massive hit with the family. I was worried it would fall apart coming out of the tin and had  a back up plan involving the cheesecake shop on the way to the party- thank goodness this wasn't required.