Bee’s Kitchen

Introducing little Juno, the newest addition to our family.

We first came across the Shiba Inu breed on our Taiwan travels during Christmas. Maybe popular there, due to the geographic proximity of Japan, where the breed originates.

We have been thinking of getting a puppy for a while now, and looked at a few different breeds. We made a list of all the things we wanted in a dog and the Shiba Inu ticked all the boxes. The temperament sounded like a perfect fit with our lifestyle, an intelligent and independent breed, aswell as being affectionate and loyal.

After months of searching high and low for a female Shiba Inu in Australia, we finally found a reputable breeder in Western Australia who has an amazing passion for Shiba Inu’s with Champions in Australia and around the world.

Born on 31 March 2011, Juno comes from a litter of five puppies (three girls and two boys) with an extrodinary pedigree. We emailed and phoned with the breeder each week, where we got updates on puppies progress.

Preparation Time – 25 minutes
Cooking Time – 25 minutes

Makes – 12

Ingredients

60g butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup raspberries
Icing sugar mixture, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin pans with cupcake cases.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour and orange juice until just combined.
3. Spoon half the mixture evenly among paper cases and top with half the combined berries. Divide the remaining mixture among the cases and top with the remaining berries. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes spring back when lightly tapped. Set aside in the pan to cool slightly before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Dust lightly with icing sugar to serve.

Preparation Time – 40 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 12

Ingredients

60g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup low fat milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Line 12 x 1/3 cup muffin pans with cupcake cases.
2. Using electric beater, beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed banana. Beat until combined.
3. Sift flour and bicarbonate soda over banana mixture. Add milk. Using a large metal spoon, gently stir until combined. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin pans. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool in pans for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

60g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk

Lemon curd

1 egg, lightly whisked
50g butter
2 tsp lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup caster sugar

Meringue

3 egg whites
3/4 cup caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin pans with paper cases.
2. Use a mixer to beat the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the flour and milk, in alternate batches, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3. Spoon mixture into lined pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, to make the lemon curd centre, combine the egg, butter, lemon rind and juice and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool and thicken.
5. Use a small knife to cut a V-shaped piece out of the top of each cake, about 1.5cm deep, leaving a 2cm-wide edge. Spoon the lemon curd evenly among cupcakes.
6. Place egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. Use a mixer to whisk until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating well between each addition. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes or until sugar completely dissolves. Spoon meringue on top of each cake, using a round-bladed knife to shape in peaks over the cake and enclosing the filling. Use a small brulee gun to toast the meringue until lightly golden.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Makes – 24

Ingredients

3 sheets puff pastry
spray oil for greasing
4 rindless shortcut bacon, diced
6 button mushrooms, diced
8 cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cream
2 stalks chives, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease 24 hole muffin tin.
2. Use cookie cutter to make 8 rounds per pastry sheet.
3. Assemble by placing pastry in tin, evenly distribute bacon, mushroom and tomato
4. Lightly whisk eggs with cream, pour into cases, sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Garnish with chives, season with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

My original microwave rice cooker has worked brilliantly for the last 3 years, but it just wasn’t meant to be! Accidentally cooking too little rice for too long, I managed to melt the bottom of the container *sighs*.

Searching at my local supermarket for a suitable replacement had it’s challenges, I wanted a better model, one that didn’t over flow and leave me with puddle of water on the microwave glass plate.

I finally found the Maxi-Aid Microwave Rice Cooker at Victoria’s Basement, and it’s perfect, it comes with a two layer clip on lid, measuring cup and rice paddle and it’s easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

The lid works amazingly well, when the water boils it’s caught in the dip of the lid and then drains back into the pot. No more messy microwave spills to clean up.

[photopress:beef_rice_IMG_3982.jpg,full,pp_image]

Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Time – 10 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

200g minced beef
2 cups lettuce (thinly sliced)
4 cups boiled rice (precooked day before)
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 shallots (finely sliced)
2 tbsp light soya sauce
salt & pepper
1 tsp cornflour
cooking oil
seasame oil

[photopress:beef_rice_IMG_3975.jpg,thumb,pp_image] [photopress:beef_rice_IMG_3980.jpg,thumb,pp_image]

Method

1. Marinate mince with a dash of soya sauce, cornflour, seasame oil, salt and pepper for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil, cook mince till medium done, set aside.
3. Hard scamble eggs, set aside.
4. Stir fry the rice till heated through, then stir in eggs, mince and lettuce, flavour with salt and pepper and soya sauce. Garnish with shallots.

[photopress:porkchopIMG_3808.jpg,full,pp_image]

For tonights dinner tonkatsu is on the menu, this translates to deep fried pork, being my first attempt at cooking this dish I was curious at how it would turn out, luckily results were pretty good, will definitely make this one again.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

4 pork chops
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg (beaten)
1 tbsp water
1 cup Japanese bread crumbs
Canola oil for frying

Method

1. Trim fat off pork, cut into bite sized pieces. Flatten pork with mallet to tenderize meat. Then add salt and pepper on pork.
2. Dip the pork in beaten egg with water and roll the pork in the bread crumbs until evenly coated.
3. Fry pork in hot oil until golden brown, drain on paper towel.