Vixens at Home

Hope all you Vixens fans are hungry! Time to get creative in the kitchen and cook up a storm with some new recipes, provided to you by our Melbourne Vixens. Check in to find new tasty treats over time :)

Caitlin Thwaites' Minestrone Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 sticks celery
• 1 potato
• 1 carrot
• 1 zucchini
• Big handful of parsley
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 tin mixed 3 beans
• 1 litre veg or chicken stock
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 5 rashes short cut bacon
• Handful of pasta spirals

METHOD

Let’s get all the chopping done first!

1. Dice up onion, celery and finely chop garlic, set aside together in a bowl while we chop up rest of veg!

2. Next chop carrot, zucchini, and potato into small chunks, set aside in another bowl.

3. Roughly chop your parsley.

4. Slice up your bacon into 1cm or smaller pieces.

Now for the Cooking!

1. Place a large saucepan (biggest one you've got!) on cook top over medium heat.

2. With a little olive oil in the bottom first soften the onion, garlic and celery. Stirring for 2 mins.

3. Next, add in the bacon and continue stirring to cook this for a further couple of mins.

4. Now we add in the crushed tomatoes, stock, 1 cup of water and bring this to a light boil.

5. Add in the carrot, zucchini, potato, tin of beans, parsley, and stir in the tomato paste. Put a lid on the pot and allow to slowly boil for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Finally add the pasta, return the lid and cook until pasta is tender!

6. If it looks too thick add in some water as required.

7. Serve up with some parmesan shavings and parsley to garnish and some warm crusty bread!!

Enjoy!

KD Jamaican Coconut Drops Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups diced coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 lb brown sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp powered ginger
• 1/2 cup water

METHOD

1. Cut up dry coconut 🥥
2. Then boil the coconut in water with ginger for 40mins
3. Add sugar to the mix (boil until it becomes thick)
4. Then add the vanilla
5. Use a spoon and scoop the drops onto a cookie sheet
6. Then leave to cool

Mwai Kumwenda Banana Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large Brand free range eggs
• 1 1/4 cups caster sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 3 large ripe bananas, Mashed
• 1 2/3 cups brand plain four
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1/2 ground cinnamon
  
  

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Grease and line base of a regular 21cm x11cm loaf pan.

2. Beat eggs and sugar together in a stand mixer or with electric beaters on medium-high speed for 10 minutes, or until very thick and pale and the mixture forms a ribbon when beater is lifted. Reduce speed to low and beat in the oil in a steady stream. Add the vanilla and yoghurt and then the bananas and walnuts. Mix briefly then remove.

3. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl and pour wet mixture onto the dry mixture, folding gently but thoroughly.

4. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 1 1/4 hours, or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Caitlin Thwaites' Bruschetta Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices of bread (ciabatta or sourdough)
• 1 avocado (or 2 small)
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes (or heirloom)
• 2 slices red onion
• 8 basil leaves
• Feta
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic reduction to drizzle

METHOD

1. To toast your bread, place slices on an oven tray and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over bread, then sprinkle a pinch of salt. Place in the oven to toast/grill (keep an eye on it, it can burn quickly!) Remove when a little brown and crunchy, I like mine still soft in the middle. (150 degrees, no more than 5 mins)

2. Slice tomatoes in halves or quarters, and Chop avocado into small chunks and mix together in a bowl.

3. Finely chop 2 slices of red onion, and roughly chop the Basil. Add and stir through the tomato and avocado mixture. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and a little olive oil.

4. Plate up. Place toast in middle of your plate, spoon on the bruschetta mix, crumble the feta over the top, and drizzle the balsamic reduction.

Enjoy!

Caitlin Thwaites' Smoked Salmon Salad Bowl

INGREDIENTS

• 100gm Smoked Salmon
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 avocado
• 1 450gm tin baby beetroot
• Sugar snap peas
• Pea shoots
• Feta
• 20ish hazelnuts (a handful)
• Balsamic drizzle (optional)

METHOD

1. Rinse spinach with water, then place a handful in each bowl.

2. Slice up baby beets into halves or quarters, place in bowl in a pile next to spinach. Then slice up avocado, I like to fan it out to look pretty!

3. Add the sugar snap peas, and pea shoots.

4. Carefully roll up the slices of smoked salmon and place in bowl too!

5. Crumble some feta over the top of salad and add roughly chopped hazelnuts! Add balsamic drizzle (optional).

Enjoy!

Tegan Philip's Healthy Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large bananas)
• ¼ cup milk of choice or water
• 1 teaspoon baking SODA
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ¾ cups regular whole wheat flour
• ½ cup pitted dates
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk.
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Then mix through dates and walnuts.
4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean
6. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing (or if you’re like me it’s lucky to sit for 5 minutes haha).

Liz Watson's Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

5 ripe bananas
1/3 cup of oil
1/4 cup of greek yoghurt or milk
1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 and 3/4 cup of wholemeal flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all together and cook at 180 degrees for 40-45mins