Super Easy Thai Style Meatballs

I really like meatballs. They're super easy to make and really good to take to a party for appetisers and best of all they're really cheap. You can throw just about anything into some mince meat and come up with some pretty fantastic combinations! I happened to have some pork mince and some Thai style ingredients leftover from a green curry that I made and I wanted to experiment!

I also put together a little BBQ style sticky glaze to go on top which was really yummy and tasty. I glazed the meatballs at the last five minutes of cooking and then used the rest as a dipping sauce and it was really delicious.

It's really easy to make meatballs in the oven in muffin tins. Just spray a bit of nonstick spray and toss em in! It's a nice trick instead of frying them in a pan with lots of oil. Just let them cool completely before you scrape them out! The glaze that I made to go over them would go with a wide variety of things including chicken wings and BBQ ribs with an Asian flare. This recipe makes about 15 meatballs, but obviously can be doubled and trippled! Enjoy!

Time to party!

Ingredients for the Balls:
250g lean pork mince
1 tsp. Bart lemon grass paste
2 tbsp. Chopped green onions
1 egg
1 tsp. Grated ginger
1 tbsp. Chopped coriander
¼ tsp. Korean red c hilli flakes (optional)
½ red chilli (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 garlic cloved minced
½ tsp. Salt
1 rice cake (I used this for binding, you can use a slice of bread)


For the Sticky Glaze:
¼ c. hoisin sauce
3 tbsp. Brown sugar
¼ c. sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. Freshly grated ginger

For the Balls:
Preheat your oven to 200C
Get your ginger grated, chop the coriander, chilli, green onions and garlic.
Mix the pork with all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray, and roll the mixture into balls and place in there.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Then glaze and cook an additional 5 minutes.

To make the Glaze:
While the balls are cooking in the oven, mix all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn down and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Next turn off heat and use for the glaze or dipping.

They make great party food!

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a classic party food, and these I decided to make with a very simple twist. For those of you who don’t frequently eat deviled eggs they’re a tiny bit of joy into the mouth. Hard boiled eggs, with the yolk taken out and mixed with mayonnaise or any other types of ingredients and fill them back in the half white shells. They’re perfect for any occasion, such as picnics, BBQs, holidays and gatherings. They’re so versatile too; you can use this recipe to jump into something more adventurous. The sky is the limit really because so many things go with eggs. My recipe here is for 12, but you can easily do more as I’ve found at so many gatherings I’m often left with none! Spring is coming up and it’s a perfect time to give it a go!

Perfect treat to impress guests!

Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs
5 tbsp. extra light mayo (I use Hellmann’s)
100g smoked salmon
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder
Paprika for dusting

To Start:
Peel the eggs, slice carefully in half and remove the yolk and place into small bowl.
Arrange the egg white halves nicely on a platter.
Dice the salmon into very small pieces

To Make:
Mix the yolks thoroughly with a fork to break up any lumps.
Add the mayo and the Dijon and mix thoroughly. (A hand blender works fantastic here).
Salt and pepper to taste with a dash of garlic powder.
Fold in the smoked salmon and mix to incorporate.
In a piping bag carefully add the mixture and pipe into the egg whites.
Alternatively you can spoon it in as well.
Refrigerate covered in cling film, eat on the same day.

Simple Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

Everyone knows that this dip is really indulgent. I never knew how to make it until I made it before my bachelorette party. I never made it again, until recently because I had a craving and found some great corn chips! Although when I compared my recipe to traditional recipes, I found mine a bit lighter! It was such a nice treat and I thought I'd share it because it was just as good as that epic night. It serves about 4-6, and a great appetizer for sharing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 400g can artichokes drained (you can use frozen if that’s what you can find)
400g frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed out all the water)
100g light Philadelphia cream cheese
½ c. Mozzarella cheese
¼ c. parmesan cheese
½ c. ricotta cheese
¼ c. light mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of Cholula (or any hot sauce)
Corn chips for dipping

To Start:
Place all the ingredients except a few pinches of mozzarella into a food processor and blitz up.
If it’s a bit stiff try adding a little lemon juice to get it moving (tiny squeeze).
Taste the mixture for seasoning.

To Cook:
Place the mixture in an oven safe dish or ramekins.
Top with leftover mozzarella cheese
Bake at 350F or 170C for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve with corn chips and enjoy hot!

Note: If you do not have a food processor just chop everything as finely as possible and combine. Enjoy!

Onion Bhaji

If you’ve had Indian takeaway then you’ve probably tried this tasty accompaniment to many dishes, as an appetizer or a side. This is one of our favorite starters but I’m always off put by the amount of grease that’s usually dripping off them! Sometimes it’s a fun to have the good takeaway kind, but I wanted to make my own that weren’t swimming in oil, and just lightly pan fried. These onion fritters will make an exceptional homemade touch to your Indian cook up, not to mention impress your guests. Makes about 6 fritters.

Ingredients:
1 medium egg
½ c flour
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water
3 tbsp. vegetable, or rapeseed oil

To start:
Slice the onion, length wise, then cut in half again (Basically doesn’t matter as long as it’s not too small and it’s big enough to hold on to batter)

To Combine:
In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the egg, water, and spices. (You want a thick pancake consistency, if too lose add more flour).
Add the onion and use your hand to combine and coat all the onions.

To cook:
Heat the oil in a pan.
When hot pick up a small ball about a half a handful and lay in the hot oil, and continue until the onion mixture is finished.
Brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes.

Serve with mango chutney, lime pickle, or your favorite raita.

Goat's Cheese Stuffed Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto

I had this as a starter to a holiday meal. I thought it would be a special thing to share seeing as how Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s a very special little treat to share with that special someone, and super easy to make! You could try all kinds of variations on it, change the fruit to pears, and change the cheese to something more like Brie. It’s all up to you!! This can serve 4.

What you’ll need:
4 fresh ripened figs
100g soft goat’s cheese
6-8 slices of prosciutto
Rocket (baby arugula) to serve on
Balsamic glaze for dressing
Pepper to serve

To Start:
Heat oven to 200C or ~400F
Slice an X in the top of the figs but do not cut all the way through the fruit. You want wedges that aren’t completely detached.
Stuff the inside with goats cheese (however much you’d like).
Next wrap at least two pieces of prosciutto around each one so it’s protected.
Place in the oven until the prosciutto is crispy. About 15 minutes.

To Finish:
Serve on top a bed of arugula and drizzle sweet aged balsamic on top.
Voila!