Red Velvet Cupcakes

adapted from the NY Times Red Velvet Cake recipe
1c cake flour
1/3c cocoa
1/2tsp salt
2/3c vegetable oil
3/4c sugar
1 egg
1oz (2T) red food coloring
1/2tsp vanilla
1/2c buttermilk
1/2tsp baking soda
3/4tsp white vinegar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line12-cupcake pans with cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray.Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time.With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring (and water or syrup, if necessary). (Take care: it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches.

Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

Divide batter among 12-cupcake pans, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Mine cooked for 27 minutes.)

Note:: The recipe above has been scaled down to 1/3 of the original recipe. The original recipe yields 3 dozen cupcakes:
3½ cups cake flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons salt
2 cups vegetable oil
2¼ cups white sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2½ teaspoons white vinegar

Em's Magnificent Cream Cheese Icing
adapted form the 06/98 Epicurious.com Cream Cheese Icing recipe
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese - room temperature, divided in three parts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter - COLD
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and combine very well. Add the first third of the cream cheese and combine very well. Add the shortening and combine very well. Add the remaining cream cheese one piece at a time, combining very well after each. Gradually add the sugar and combine thoroughly until light and fluffy.

Alternative scrolls

Ideas for other scrolls:

Vegetable (Grated carrot, zucchini, cheese, corn)
Spinach and pine nut & cheese
salami
zucchini and fetta
sprinkle some herbs over
Use mayonaise

Ham, pineapple & cheese pizza scrolls

Makes 12

Ingredients
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
90g butter, cut into cubes
160ml (2/3 cup) milk
Plain flour, to dust
60g (1/4 cup) pizza sauce
80g (1 cup) coarsely grated cheddar

Diced onion

Corn (if you feel like it)
150g sliced leg ham, coarsely chopped
1 x 225g can pineapple pieces, drained on paper towel
Extra milk, to brush

Method
Preheat oven to 210°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk. Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until evenly incorporated and the mixture begins to hold together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 30 x 40cm rectangle.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Sprinkle with the cheddar, ham and pineapple, onion and corn. Starting from a long side, roll up firmly to form a log. Brush the edge with a little extra milk and press down firmly to seal the log. Cut crossways into 12 equal portions, about 3cm thick. Place scrolls on the prepared tray. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Notes & tips
These pizza scrolls will keep for up to 2 days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

SourceAustralian Good Taste - February 2005 , Page 58

Cheese & bacon scrolls

Olive oil spray
2 rashers bacon, chopped
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour + extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
50g butter, coarsely grated
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
1/3 cup tomato chutney
3/4 cup (90g) grated cheddar

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray two baking trays with oil and line with baking paper.
Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil. Add bacon and cook over medium heat until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub butter in using fingertips. Add milk and mix to a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth. Roll into a 25 x 30cm rectangle.

Spread chutney over dough, sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Roll up starting from a long edge. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut roll into 12 even slices. Place scrolls on trays and bake for 15 minutes.

SourceFresh Living - July 2005 , Page 49

Lemon, coconut, and chilli poached fish

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
400ml coconut cream
2 tb fish sauce
1 tb grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 chopped long red chillies
3cm grated piece ginger
1/4 cup fresh coriander
4 x 200g firm white fish fillets (ling, perch or blue eye)

Cook rice.

Combine coconut cream, ring, sauce, juice, chilli and giner and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add fish and simmer covered for 10mins. Remove from heat and stir in coriander. Top rice with fish and drizzle with coconut cream sauce.

Twice-spiced coriander chicken skewers

1 small onion, halved
1 green chilli, deseeded
30g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
1 tbsp ground coriander
75g ready-to-eat dried apricots
2 1/2 tbsp thai fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
4 large, free range skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 garlic clove, finely grated
green salad to serve

Whizz the onion, chilli, fresh and ground coriander, apricots, fish sauce and lime juice in a food processor to make a marinade.

Put the chiken in a bowl and stir in 3/4 of the marinade. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill for 10 minutes, turning halfway.

Meanwhile, stir the remaining marinade into the yoghurt with the garlic. Serve 2 skewers eachw ith the garlic yoghurt and a green salad.

Red Peppers stuffed with spiced couscous, california rasins and olives

4 red peppers, deseeded and tops discarded
150g couscous
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
50g california raisins
25g flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
100g pitted green olives, sliced
zest and juice of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 200 degrees/fanforced 180. Put the peppers, cut-side down on a greased tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the couscous in a bowl, pour over 225ml boiling water, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let it stand for 10 minutes.

heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a pan and cook the chilli for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the raisins, parsley, olives and lemon juice and zest.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir in the raisin mixture with the remaining olive oil.

Fill the peppers with the couscous, cover with foil and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Serve with a rocket salad.