The Mad Scientist's Calypso Coffee

Run out of milk to have with your coffee? Not sure what to do? Then try the Mad Scientist's amazing new 'Calypso Coffee'!

This simply requires a mug full of steaming hot black coffee and a generous scoop of your favourite Rum and Raisin ice-cream. Place the ice-cream on top of the coffee and allow it to froth and partially melt before drinking. Sip your coffee through the creamy ice-cream foam on the top - delicious!

This technique can also be tried with other ice-cream flavours.
For some tasty treats see:
http://aurorae-australis-borealis.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/surprisingly-good-ice-cream-from-coles.html

The Mad Scientist's Moroccan Marvel

What could be easier than a delicious Moroccan-flavoured casserole made in the slow cooker? Minimum preparation time involved!

Ingredients:
6 x medium sized potatoes (peeled and coarsely chopped)
4 x small/medium onions (peeled and coarsely chopped)
10-12 good quality flavoured sausages
2 x 400g cans of Moroccan-flavoured chick peas
2 x 400g cans of Moroccan-flavoured chopped tomatoes
500g bag of frozen baby carrots
1 teaspoon of chopped (wet) garlic
1 teaspoon of chopped (wet) chilli
1 teaspoon of chopped (wet) coriander
1 teaspoon of powdered sweet paprika

 Once the preparation is done, mix the spices together in the bottom of the crock pot and then stir them through the chopped onion and potato.

Add the other ingredients (sausages, carrots, chick peas and chopped tomato) and stir for even distribution.

Turn crock pot onto 'auto' (or your preferred setting) and stir occasionally.

Once the potatoes have softened to your liking, place some sausages in the bottom of a bowl or plate and then ladle the other ingredients over the top.

This recipe is already moderately spicy so no other condiments should be needed.

When serving as 'leftovers' the sausages and carrots can be sliced and mixed in with the other ingredients for reheating and served on a bed of rice or mashed potato - yummy either way as the casserole flavours mature in the same way as a curry.

ENJOY!

The Mad Scientist's Fruity Easter Muffins

This is a variation on the bread recipe.

Take one packet of a multi-purpose mix. Prepare mix with egg/water as per instructions.

Suggested ingredients (quantities are approximate):
Half a cup of mixed dried fruit
Half a cup of finely chopped dried apricots
One teaspoon of dried blueberries
One tablespoon of chopped dried strawberries
One tablespoon of chopped dried mangoes
One tablespoon of chopped dried pineapple
One tablespoon of chopped dried dates
One tablespoon of fig jam (mix with the water before adding to the mixture)

Spoon into muffin pans and cook according to the directions on the packet. Yummy fresh from the oven!

The Mad Scientist's Amazing Easter Fruit Bread

This recipe is designed to be used with a bread-maker.

Use the normal quantity of flour, water and yeast for your particular bread maker. Rye flour was used here and gives a beautiful moist bread.

Other ingredients:
One cup of mixed dried fruit
One cup of finely chopped dried apricots
Two teaspoons of dried blueberries
Tablespoon of chopped dried strawberries
Tablespoon of fig jam (mix this with the water prior to adding to the bread maker)

Mix all the dried fruit together with the flour and yeast and combine ingredients evenly before adding to the bread maker (I find sifting the flour before adding it to the mixing bowl gives an even better result).

Cook according to normal settings for a sweet bread.

Tastes great with fig jam (but any sort of fruit jam would go just as well).

Enjoy and Happy Easter!

The Mad Scientist's Chocolate Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients:
(Part 1)
1-2 chopped medium onions
1 each of red, green and yellow capsicums, chopped
375g sliced fresh mushrooms
2kg fresh low-fat beef mince
Approx. 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Approx. 1 tablespoon chopped red chilli
Olive oil

(Part 2)
3 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
2 x 425g cans of ‘Mexican Beans’ eg El Paso
1 x 400g can chick peas
Handful of chopped stuffed olives
Handful of chopped dried tomatoes
1 x 50g sachet tomato paste

(Part 3)
200g block of dark chocolate (eg 70% cocoa)

Cook Part 1 ingredients over a high heat (eg in a wok or frying pan) until vegetables are softened and meat browned.

Place into a slow cooker with Part 2 ingredients and simmer for several hours until flavours are well combined.

Prior to serving break chocolate into squares and stir through mixture until melted and equally dispersed. (Chocolate can be added to taste but with this quantity of ingredients the whole block is not too much.)

Serve with freshly cooked fluffy white rice or mashed potatoes or the Mad Scientist’s Vegetable Bread.