Tuna Fritters with Whipped Fetta

These would have to be the tastiest tuna fritters I have ever tasted. Repeat. Ever tasted. They were delicious and if Lyndon liked them, well, that is really saying something. I think it is the combination of Tabasco sauce and lemon zest which really 'lift' them. Very simple to make with cheap ingredients. Try them.

Since I don't own a food processor, I used my Bamix with the 'mincer' attachment. I also find it better to place the uncooked fritters in the fridge to 'set' for at least 20 minutes before frying.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

100 g fetta

100 g ricotta

50 ml pouring cream

185 g canned tuna in springwater, drained

2 tsp lemon zest

2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 splashes Tabasco sauce

2 eggs

250 g potatoes, cooked and mashed

3 spring onions, sliced

3 cups (210 g) fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (75 g) plain flour

olive oil, for frying

lemon wedges, to serve

watercress sprigs, to serve (optional)

Method

To make the whipped fetta, place fetta, ricotta and cream in a food processor with 3-4 tbs water and blend until smooth and light.

To make the fritters, place the tuna in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add lemon zest, parsley, Tabasco sauce and 1 egg and process. Add potatoes and process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in spring onions and 3 tbs of the breadcrumbs. Use your hands to shape mixture into small fritters about 6cm in diameter.

Beat remaining egg. Dip fritters in flour to coat. Dip into beaten egg, then in remaining breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry fritters for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve with whipped fetta, lemon wedges and watercress if desired.

Birthday Blues

Today is my birthday. I won't tell you how old I am, but I'm between the ages of 33 and 35. Heehee...

So we've got off to a bad start to our weekend and my birthday. Don't ask. The news isn't good. And it has to do with Monet but we'll get through it and she'll be okay. All I will say is that we are good toothbrushers here, morning and evening but it hasn't paid off...

Yep - tooth problems. Back molars. Not the colour they should be. Pain. Lots of pain. Makes me hurt too to see my little one in pain. But as I said we will get through it and things should be on the improvement in the next few weeks, fingers crossed and all...

I still can't help but feel horribly awful in my gut. Is there anything worse than seeing your child in screaming and crying pain? I don't think. This is a downside of being a parent, we have to take the good with the bad, unfortunately.

But we will be right. Chins up and all that!

Goodnight, Sleep Tight

My baby isn't much of a baby any more. Boo hoo. Yippee! Yes, I can't make up my mind if that's a good or a bad thing...

Last night, under her Fairy Doona cover, Monet slept in her own big bed. The whole night through. I generally don't post photos of Monet as you know, but I think I had to here. She's a lovely looking sleeper, even when she's pretending, don't you think?

So it took Monet ages to go to sleep. She was terribly excited about the 'Fairies' that would be watching over her as she slept. She has had the bed with that doona cover, in her room for a good 8 or so months and has never given a second glance at the $10 doona cover I had on her bed. But last night was really something else.

I've been building up all week the fact she was moving in to a 'big bed' from her cot this weekend. (We had decided that when we move we didn't want to set the cot up again.) She was very excited yesterday when I changed her room around (for one more time - I packed up a lot of her toys at the same time!) so I could easily get her into bed and also see her from the bedroom door if I needed to check on her. As soon as Lyndon walked in the door after work last night, she excitedly got him to look in her room and tell him that she was sleeping "under the fairies tonight!" It was good she was so enthusiastic about it all...

She slept from 10pm till 6:30am in her bed, without waking, without creeping out into our bed, without falling out of the bed! I was and still am thrilled. I had visions of her waking up at 2 am and sneaking into our room and cuddling up to me, but that didn't happen, until 6:30 but I don't mind that when it is that time.

My baby isn't much of a baby any more...

Keep On Moving...

We are like a couple of professionals in the moving stakes, Lyndon and I. Look, we even went out and bought one of those packing tape dispensers...

...And we write on the tape, not on the box, in case we have to use those boxes again.

I've been packing at least one big box a day and we are slowly getting through it all... I can see ourselves this time next week eating off paper plates and using plastic cutlery because I would have packed up the whole kitchen!! And we'd still have a week to go before we move!!

Since going out with Lyndon, coming up to 11 years in June, this will be our 10th move together and Monet's third (and she's not even 3 yet!).

I think that Packing tape dispenser will probably get a fair bit of work out in years to come as I know what we are like. But then things may change, considering we are moving into our 'own' place this time and not renting!! (Yippee!! We still can't believe it.) And if we do happen to move, the company Lyndon works for will be paying for removalists to pack and move our stuff anyway (like they did with our Melbourne to Cairns move), so maybe we don't need to hold onto that tape dispenser after all. Heehee...

Over the past 10 years, how many house moves have you made?

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

I don't know where I originally got this recipe but over the years I have added and changed a few things, so I am claiming it as my own recipe now! We love this soup, especially Monet!!

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

4 cups chicken stock

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into small pieces (or use left over roast chicken like I usually do)

1 can creamed corn, (use either 310g or 440g tin)

1 handful frozen corn kernels

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 handful of uncooked vermicelli pasta (optional - good for thickening)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft, but not brown. Add the chicken stock to the pan followed by the chicken, creamed corn, corn kernels, spring onion and pasta (if using). Bring slowly to the boil (or wait until pasta is cooked through, if using). Add the egg in one long stream, using a fork where it meets the liquid soup, to beat into the mixture. Cook for one minute. Enjoy.

Serves 4-6

You Like?

I saw this Pot Holder in my local Coles the other day. I thought it was pretty 'kitch'...

...and I thought it was about time I threw out the last one I bought in the Year 2000!

More Shoe Babble

So I ended up buying a pair of these today...

I was after the 'Madrid' style like my black ones, (just one simple strap over the base of your toes) but they didn't have any of the khaki green ones in stock so I decided on the Gizeh style (Kikimiss will be happy!)

I did visit a few shops selling the Croc Mary Jane style ones, but they only had in stock the black ones and an army green colour so I gave them a miss.

I am happy with my new purchase, with thanks to my parents-in-law, as it was their money I spent... (I wonder whose birthday it is next week? Hmm? Let me think...)

Eggplant Parmigiana

This was actually pretty tasty and was something different too. The anchovies in the recipe really brought out the flavour. It was more like an eggplant lasagna rather than a parmigiana! I added on top a few sliced black olives and a sprinkling of crumber fetta cheese....

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
2 large eggplants (I used 1)
3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten with 3 tbs water
2 cups fine breadcrumbs
350ml olive oil, for frying
100ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 litre) tomato passata (I used 500ml)
1 cup (80g) grated Parmesan
200g mascarpone
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
10 slices fontina* cheese
4 sprigs oregano (I used dried)
2 sprigs basil, leaves picked
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Method
Cut eggplants length ways into 1/2 cm-thick slices. Dust eggplant with flour, then dip into egg was then breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Fry eggplant slices for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Place 2 tbs of the extra virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof dish and swirl to cover base. Spread about a third of the tomato passata in base of dish. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Place marscarpone, anchovies and remaining Parmesan in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Place one layer of eggplant slices over the base of the dish. Spoon another third of the tomato passata over eggplant, top with a layer of fontina and spoon over a few dollops of mascarpone mixture. Sprinkle with half the oregano and basil. Repeat layers, seasoning each layer. Finish with cheese and herbs. Drizzle with remaining extra virgin olive oil and cover with foil/

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden.

Serves 6

*Fontina is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a sweet delicate flavour. (I looked high and low for this cheese and was unsuccessful in finding it. Instead I used what I had in the fridge - some lovely cheddar cheese and a bit of fetta)