Classic American Baked Ziti

A baked ziti is a classic American dish (with similarities to lasagna and bolognese) that is very simple and very delicious!!

My recipe:

Makes approx 8 bowls

Ingredients:

Baked Ziti:

• 300g ziti (or penne pasta)

• olive oil (for frying)

• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1 small onion (diced)

• 500g ground beef (or pork)

• 700g tomato passata

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp sugar (use stevia for a healthier dish)

• 1 cup ricotta

• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

• finely chopped parsley (to serve)

Seasonings:

• 2 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tbsp paprika

• chilli flakes (optional - adjust to taste)

• 2 tsp onion powder

• salt and pepper (to taste)

Steps:

1. Cook ziti/penne for the recommended cooking time on the packet. Drain, then return to pot.

2. Preheat oven to 180C

3. Prep: dice onion and mince garlic (use pre-minced garlic for easy prep)

4. Make Sauce: Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.

5. Add meat and cook, breaking up the mince as it cooks.

6. Once the meat is just cooked, add the seasonings and cook for approx 2 mins.

7. Add the passata, water, basil, oregano and sugar. Bring sauce to simmer, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

8. Pour a cup of sauce into the pot of ziti/pasta

9. Assemble: Spread the ziti/pasta across the bottom of a baking dish, then dollop ricotta across the ziti. Pour over remaining sauce and top with mozzarella and parmesan.

10. Bake: Cover the dish loosely with foil. Bake 20 mins. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 mins or until cheese is golden.

11. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

12. Enjoy!!

The Playlist:

• Cherry Wine - grentperez

• Somewhere Only We Know - Keane

• Heart to Heart - Mac DeMarco

• Cinema - Harry Styles

• Billie Bossa Nova - Billie Eilish

• Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

• Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

• Falling Behind - Laufey

• the perfect pair - beabadoobe

• Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon

• Friday I'm in Love - The Cure

• Dream a Little Dream - Laura Fygi

• Killer Queen - Queen

• Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears

• There She Goes - The La's

• Alright - Supergrass

• Something - The Beatles

• Birds Don't Sing - TV Girl

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST LINK -https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58bAnXYdpbBaPk6Jgm6iw4?si=3b060a4c6d454a1d

I hope you enjoyed making this dish! (and enjoy the leftovers)

- Maisy xx

Crave-Worthy Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes!

These cupcakes are definitely a favourite treat of mine (and my sister, who always steals these whenever I make them) to make, this recipe is quite simple and VERY delicious!!

My Recipe:

Makes approx 20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake batter:

• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar

• 1/3 cup oil

• 1 egg

• 1 cup milk

• Approx 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 1/2 cup flour

• Diced apples (2 apples - Granny Smith is best but other kinds are ok)

Cinnamon Topping:

• 1/2 cup caster sugar

• Approx 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp coconut oil (butter also works if you don’t have coconut oil)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F)

2. Dice the apples

3. Combine cake batter ingredients, fold in diced apples.

4. Grease cupcake tins (I used coconut oil for this)

5. Pour batter into cupcake tins

6. Combine the cinnamon topping ingredients, sprinkle over the batter

7. Bake for 40 minutes.

8. Enjoy!!

Playlist:

• Lover - Taylor Swift

• Vienna - Billy Joel

• Hopelessly Devoted to You - Olivia Newton-John

• Dorothea - Taylor Swift

• You're so Vain - Carly Simon

• Baby I'm Yours - Arctic Monkeys

• Kingston - Faye Webster

• Something - The Beatles

• Until I Found You - Stephen Sanchez, Em Beihold

• Impossible - Clairo

• So This is Love - Ilene Woods, Mike Douglas

• Valentine - Laufey

• Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy - Queen

• no body, no crime - Taylor Swift, HAIM

• Hey Lover! - Wabie

• Like the Movies - Laufey

• Love Grows (where my rosemary grows) - Edison Lighthouse

• Pancakes for Dinner - Lizzy McAlpine

SPOTIFY LINK - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6GNfZ2ijMLjwp9XfuO8eCy?si=6131d94e2226452d

Hope you are as obsessed with these cupcakes as I (and when I say "I", I mean everybody who has ever tasted them) am!!

- Maisy xx

Spiced Beef Noodle Stir Fry

My recipe:

Makes approx 4 bowls

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 4 tbsp arrowroot flour

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 tsp sugar (could use honey or maple syrup as an alternative)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

• 1 tsp (approx) Chinese five spice powder

• Dash of black pepper

• Chilli powder (optional)

Stir fry:

• Oil

• Beef (chopped to bite sized chunks)

• 1 tsp Garlic (minced)

• 1 tsp Ginger (minced)

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 onion (diced)

• Broccoli florets (chopped to bite sized pieces)

Noodles:

• Boiling water

• Rice noodles

• Pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Steam/boil broccoli (using your preferred method) until cooked to your taste.

2. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

3. Tenderise the beef (this is optional)

4. Heat oil in a large skillet (over high heat), add the garlic, ginger, and onion.

5. Once the onion softens, add the beef chunks and cook until just cooked through.

6. Add the broccoli, sauce and water. Stir well and cook until sauce thickens and coats the ingredients.

7. Serve over noodles (OR rice if preferred)

8. Enjoy!!

The Playlist:

• I Love You So - The Walters

• About A Girl - Nirvana

• cardigan - Taylor Swift

• Imagine - John Lennon

• Black Beauty - Lana Del Rey

• Cosmic Dancer - T. Rex

• ceilings - Lizzy McAlpine

• How to disappear - Lana Del Rey

• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

• Birds Dont Sing - TV Girl

• Where'd All the Time Go? - Dr. Dog

• 505 - Arctic Monkeys

• First Love/Late Spring - Mitski

• Motion Sickness - Phoebe Bridgers

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST LINK - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4hDjVSMTyYwZav6HjSZjPe?si=b51cc19ee4cd486d

Hope you ABSOLUTELY loved the recipe:)

- Maisy xx