Garlic bread

This is the first thing that I baked in our new house. The oven is older than the one in our little shoe box, so I must admit, I was worried. But after a slight hiccup (couldn't work out how to turn it on! Thanks Mum for working it out!) it is an oldy but a goody.
I bake it on a pre-heated pizza stone for best results, but a preheated oven tray works too.
I love the way the house smells when this is in the oven - the mixture of baking bread and buttery garlic is amazing.


Ingredients: 
1 baguette / french stick
1/2 cup butter, softened (but not melted)
2 cloves of garlic, minced or 2 tsp jarred crushed garlic
1 tsp (or more, to taste) of herbs (either fresh or dried, I used oregano but parsley is traditional of garlic bread)


Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Mix together the butter,  garlic and herbs. Make thick slices in the top of the baguette, being careful not to cut all the way through. 
Cut a large rectangle of aluminium foil and place the baguette in the centre and using a spoon or knife, fill each slice with the garlic butter mixture. I use about 1/2 tbs in each.
Wrap and bake for 9 minutes. At this stage, I open the foil slightly and bake for another 2 minutes. I find this gives the bread a lovely slight browning on the top. Alternatively bake for a total of 13 minutes with the baguette fully enclosed in aluminium foil. 

Baked sweet potato and capsicum patties

We had a BBQ recently at our place - probably the last one here before we move to our new house. My brother doesn't really eat meat so I made some baked vegetarian patties for him. I made them in cupcake pans which meant they were really easy to pop in the oven while I was out socialising with our guests. The recipe makes 12 - I put 10 out for the BBQ not expecting anyone but my brother to eat them - but all were eaten! 
Next time I will definitely double the chilli as I was told they were not very spicy. Other than that, I was pretty happy with the results.


Ingredients:
1 med-large sweet potato, cubed and cooked (e.g. roasted, pan fried or even microwaved)
2 small potatoes, cubed and cooked (e.g. roasted, pan fried or even microwaved)
2 small red capsicum, roasted, skin removed
1/2 a red onin, roasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
3-4 tsp sundried tomato pesto

4 button mushrooms, finely chopped

1 small chilli, finely diced (use the seeds for more of a kick - for milder spice, remove), or more or less to taste

3 tbs flour
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 egg (next time I'll try a flax egg)
80g feta

1 1/2 tbs finely chopped coriander, optional (I only added coriander to half the patties to see to test them - I think next time I'll omit it)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. Grease and line a 12 capacity cupcake pan. 
Make sure all your vegetables are cooled before you begin to make these patties.
Roughly mash the sweet potato in a large bowl, either with a potato masher or just a fork. Finely chop the capsicum and mushroom, and add it to the sweet potato along with the onion, rice, sun dried tomato pesto and grated cheese. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add egg and mix, then add the flour and mix. Carefully add in the feta cheese, being careful not to over mix.


Divide amount the cupcake pans and pop in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Once cooked, patties can be eaten immediately or saved and reheated later.

Serve with a side salad for a vegetarian meal, or as a side for a meat dish, e.g. steak or chicken.