Pecan Balls

Can be made a week ahead

125g softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs caster sugar
1 cup (125g) finely chopped pecans
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar mixture

Beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in nut then sifted flour in 2 batches.
Roll 2 level teaspoons of mixture into balls. Place balls 5cm apart on ungreased oven trays. Bake in a moderate oven about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Sift icing sugar into a bowl, roll balls in icing sugar while still hot, cool on a wire rack.
Makes 30.
Suitable to freeze.

Secret Family Christmas Recipes

Frozen Christmas Pudding

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit
2 slices pineapple, chopped
1 bag glace cherries, chopped
1 litre each of chocolate and vanilla icecream
125g grated dark chocolate
Generous 1/2 cup brandy

Soak dried fruit, cherries and pineapple in brandy overnight. Soften icecream, turn into a large bowl and quickly mix in soaked fruit and chocolate. Mix well. Pack into a basin, cover tightly and freeze. To remove, bip basin in hot water and turn onto a plate. Refreeze. Decorate with glace fruit to serve and offer whipped cream. Serves 8 - 10.

Prawns with bok choy and rice

From The Age

Place 2 cups rice and 1L water in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a wok over medium heat.

Stir-fry 16 large green (raw) prawns (peeled) until just cooked. Remove prawns and add 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped) and 2 red chillies (finely chopped). When garlic starts to colour, add 3 heads bok choy (trimmed and leaves separated) and stir until wilted. Return prawns to wok.

Add 2 tsp sesame oil, 150ml chicken stock and 3 tbsp oyster sauce and stir to heat through. Serve prawns with rice and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cashews (toasted and coarsely chopped).

Gingerbread People

Recipe from my friend clever Jenine. Extra yummy gingerbread!

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup golden syrup
90g butter
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
500g plain flour
pinch of salt 2 eggs beaten

Combine the sugar, golden syrup, butter spices and fresh ginger in a heavy based pan over low eat, and let melt, stirring. Remove from the heat for 2 minutes, and then stir in the bicarbonate of soda until light and fluffy.

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, add eggs and gradually add the syrup, stirring until all the flour is incorporated and you have dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least one hour

Heat the oven to 180C and roll out the dough thinly on a floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the trays. Cool on a wire rack.


Jenine usually makes large gingerbread people, makes them thick(ish) and decorated them with melted chocolates. She would often triple the mix. I made them for my son to take to kinder when my husband went with him to carve a pumpkin for Halloween (its one of hubby's very mild super powers), so I decorated them with icing to look like mummies. I made them smaller and rolled them thinner so I ended up with hundreds of them! The rest will be turned into superheroes for Son #3's birthday party (photo above)

Black Devil Chocolate Cake

An old family favourite, great for birthdays. Easy too, one bowl and 1 cup!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 1/3 cups Sugar
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1/2 cup Cocoa
125 g butter
Vanilla
3/4 cup water
2 eggs

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl, add softened butter, vanilla and half the water. Beat one minute on a slow speed. Add remaining water and eggs. Beat well, approximately another 3 minutes. Bake at 150C for 50 - 60 minutes.

Celery and White Bean Soup with Tomato

The chorizo really makes this soup. Great to deal with a celery glut. It was fun to make the celery salt too!

• 250g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight, or 650g drained tinned beans
• 5 Tbs olive oil
• 1 large head celery with leaves - celery sliced into 1 inch pieces, leaves set aside
• 8 spring onions with green tops, sliced into 1 cm rounds
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 500g good quality tomatoes
• 1 Tbs sweet paprika
• 2-3 fresh chorizo sausages (about 1/2 sausage per person)

1. Make some celery salt by laying out the celery leaves on a baking tray and heating in a medium-low oven. Move them around every so oft to keep them from burning.
2. When leaves are quite dry and crumbly, remove from oven and crumble with equal parts of sea salt. Set aside.
3. Drain the soaked beans and add to a saucepan, and cover with plenty of fresh water.
4. Boil for about an hour, skimming off any scum that arises during the cooking. Add any extra water needed if it boils away too quickly. Season with a bit of salt and set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and add in the celery. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the spring onions, garlic, and a good pinch of salt.
7. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should be soft and beginning to caramelize.
8. Add the tomatoes and half the celery salt, and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Drain the beans, keeping back 250 ml of the cooking liquid, and add both to the pot with the vegetable mixture.
10. Add in the paprika.
11. Bring to a low boil and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
12. Heat a frying pan up with a small amount of olive oil to prevent the sausage from sticking.
13. Slice the fresh chorizo into half-inch thick disks, then quarter them.
14. Fry the chorizo pieces for about 5 minutes or until cooked. They usually give off a good amount of oil - fatty, but tasty.
15. Serve the soup in bowls with the chorizo and some of its oil spooned on top.

the BEST roast pork

A different recipe from this site. I used a 1.9 kg pork shoulder, and it turned out really well.

Recipe: the BEST roast pork.

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this recipe can also be cooked on a BBQ that has a metal covering lid, such as a webber.

Ingredients:
Pork Leg - 1.5 to 2kg
4tablespoon white vinegar
3 teaspoon salt
i teaspoon salt

Method:

set the oven to about 100degrees.

slash the pork rind about 1cm apart, make sure you only cut the fat and not the meat.

rub the salt and the vinegar into the skin of the pork. then rub a bit more salt and pepper into the meat side of the pork.

put the pork into the oven and let it cook at 100 degrees for aprox 1hour.

after 1hour turn the oven op to 190 degrees and cook the meat for another 1hour. if its a 2kg peice of meat cook for 1:15min.

after its cooked, take it out and cover the meat with alfoil and leave it for atleast 20minutes, 30 would be ideal.



Why this is the best way to cook pork roast:

1) the vinegar and salt draw out the moisture from the skin, making excellent crackling
2) the low temperature at the start helps to draw out the moisture from the skin AND cook the meat without adding any colour, meaning when the meat is cooked the porkfat wont be burnt.
3) resting the meat wil ensure the roast is very juicy and tender. it will also allow you to make a cracking gravy (which ill write up below)



The gravy: (cant be made if using a BBQ!)

Ingredients:
150ml thickened cream
2tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste.


Method:

once the pork has rested under the alfoil it will have given off a LOT of liquid into the roasting pan. to make the gravy place the roasting pan onto the stove on a high heat (make sure the pan is suitable for this). bring the juices to a boil. add the cream and mustard and seasoning. bring to the boil again and thicken as much as you like.

the best pork gravy EVER!


p.s: if the pan uve roasted in cant be places on a stove, just add about 100ml water to the pan and scrape away all the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom, as they contain the rel flavour. and then pour the entire lot into a pot and follow the recipe as stated.

Irish Stew

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1.25kg lamb neck chops, trimmed
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 3 brown onions, chopped
• 1kg sebago potatoes, peeled, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups boiling water
• 3 beef stock cubes, crumbled
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped, to serve

Method

1. Cut chops in half. Place flour in a plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Place chops in bag and shake well to coat. Transfer chops to a plate. Reserve flour.
2. Preheat oven to 130°C. Place onions, potatoes and carrots in an ovenproof dish. Top with half the chops. Repeat layers with remaining onions, potatoes, carrots and chops.
3. Whisk reserved flour, tomato paste and 2 tablespoons cold water in a large jug until well combined. Slowly add boiling water, whisking constantly. Add stock cubes and parsley. Stir to dissolve stock cubes.
4. Pour flour mixture over chops. Cover and cook for 4 hours or until meat tender and sauce thickened. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

Notes & tips

• Tip: You can also cook this stew in a slow cooker. Combine the ingredients as above and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

Home Made Bubble Bath

An after dinner winner!

1 cup baby shampoo or eco-friendly liquid soap (Castile)
3/4 cup water
1/2 - 1 teapoon vegetable glycerin
Essential oils (optional)

Very bubbly and the bubbles were very stable. Also it didn't feel drying like a lot of bubble baths do!

Pear and Oat Slice

1 1/4 cups cooked strained pear (or apple)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup sultanas
125g butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups wholemeal plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Add hot pear to oats and raisins, mix and let stand for 20 minutes

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat well.

Sift flour, soda, salt and spices. Add to creamed butter and sugar, then mix in pear mixture.

Placed in greased and lined lamington tray. Bake in a slow oven (150 - 160 C) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Ice with lemon icing and sprinkle with cinnamon. When cold cut into squares.

Lemon Icing

Sift 1 cup of icing sugar into a small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice or lemon essence and boiling water. Stir over low heat until just warm. Use as required.

Roated Eggplant Dip

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 garlic cloves, skin on
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 green onions, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place eggplant and garlic on tray. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
2. Cut eggplant in half lengthways. Using a metal spoon, scoop out flesh onto a chopping board. Roughly chop. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Squeeze flesh from garlic into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until well combined. Stir into eggplant with three-quarters of the green onion. Transfer to an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Spoon dip into a bowl. Drizzle with remaining oil. Sprinkle with remaining green onion.

Hmmm..... I've tried this a few times and roasting the garlic does not work that well for me, I'm left with dried out garlic that does not really squeeze out. Today I tried dropping the unpeeled garlic in boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes in its skin, then the pulp squeezed out nicely and I was able to chop and make it into a paste with my knife. Seemed to work better!

Birthday Cupcakes

Classic Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 125g butter, melted, cooled
• 2 x 59g eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• Sprinkles and lollies, to decorate

• Icing

• 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
• Pink food colouring, optional
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 12 x 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan. Alternatively, line holes with paper cases. Combine flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre.
2. Add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla to flour mixture. Using a large metal spoon, stir gently to combine.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
4. Make icing: Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add food colouring and water. Stir until smooth and well combined. Spoon icing over cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles and lollies.

Photography by Steve Brown

Double chocolate cupcakes

• 
  

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 1 quantity classic cupcake recipe (see related recipe)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 3/4 cup dark or milk choc bits
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, extra, to serve
• 1/2 cup cream
• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

1. Follow step 1 of classic cupcake recipe, reducing self-raising flour to 1 1/2 cups. Stir in cocoa powder and choc bits.
2. Follow step 2 of classic cupcake recipe.
3. Bake cupcakes following step 3 of classic cupcake recipe.
4. Make icing: Place cream and chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Remove from heat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until a spreadable consistency. Spread over cupcakes. Sprinkle with cocoa.

Notes & tips

Shortcut: Place cream and chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat, uncovered, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on MEDIUM (50%) power, or until melted and smooth

4/11/09 Note: Made a double mix and got 116 mini cupcakes! Baked them at 190C fan forced and they were perfectly cooked after 12 minutes.

Father's Day Pancakes

1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
3/4 cup natural yoghurt
1/3 cup milk
60g butter melted
1 punnet blueberries

Method

Sift flour, salt and bicarb together. Mix in sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Combine egg, yoghurt and milk, add to flour, combine well. Melt butter in a frying pan, pour into pancake mix and stir in. Place 1/3 cup mixture in the pan to form a thick pancake. Sprinkle top with blueberries. Flip and cook the other side.

For our occasion I doubled the mixture and used a whole 600 ml tub of yoghurt. Serve with plenty of maple syrup.

Scalloped Potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
About 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup cream
2 bay leaves
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 190 degrees.

2. Melt butter in large oven proof dish over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes, chicken stock, cream, and bay leaves and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are almost tender (paring knife can be slipped into and out of potato slice with some resistance), about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

3. Sprinkle evenly with grated cheese. Bake until cream is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Pea and Ham Soup

This recipe is a variation of Stephanie Alexander's recipe. The flavour was delicious.

3 cups yellow split peas
1 onion, diced
1 small leak finely sliced
5 carrots, peeled and diced
6 - 8 stalks of celery, diced
1kg bacon bones (I think bacon bones give a better result than a ham hock)
3 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 generous sprig thyme
fresh ground black pepper
Cover with cold water

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low or high depending on how quickly you want it cooked, at least 3 - 4 hours on high, longer on low. Get the bread maker going at the same time and time it so that you have fresh bread to eat with the soup. Remove the bacon bones, and scrape meat from the bones and return the meat to the soup. Serve it up!

Sweet potato and roasted capsicum soup

1 medium sized onion, chopped and sauted with 2 cloves garlic
2 fairly decent sized red capsicums, roast and take skin off
500-750g sweet potatoes chopped
Chicken stock to cover
Half a teaspoon cajan seasonings or to your taste
Salt and pepper (optional)

Method:

Simmer until the sweet potatoes are cooked and then puree.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve with a spoon of sour cream and crusty bread

Yummy!

Afternoon Tea

Mini Quiches

I loosely followed a recipe for this.
Cut24 circles from 2 sheets of thawed puff pastry, and gently press into well greased shallow muffin tins. Place a little grated cheese and finely chopped shaved ham into pastry, top with 3 eggs mixed with a couple of spoons of cream. Top with a little finely chopped chives and bake at 190C for about 15 minutes, or until pastry is cooked.

Orange date scones

Ingredients

• Melted butter or margarine, for greasing
• 2 1/3 cups (350g) self-raising flour
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 40g (2 tbs) butter
• 1 orange, rind finely grated, juiced
• 1 cup (165g) chopped dried dates
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 125mls (1/2 cup) milk
• Butter, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a baking tray with melted butter or margarine to grease lightly.
2. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the orange rind and dates.
3. Combine the orange juice, egg and milk in a small jug. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the combined liquids. Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients with a round-bladed knife until the mixture starts to come together. Use your hands to form the mixture into a ball. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a 2cm-thick round. Cut out the dough with a floured 5cm scone cutter and place onto prepared tray. Repeat with any remaining dough scraps.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm with butter.

Roast Chicken with Herbed Tomato Rice

From Super Food Ideas Winter Warmers

4 chicken thigh cutlets, skin on
1 tbs olive oil
1 red onion, diced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tbs chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed
2 cups tomato puree
4 cups chicken stock
Steamed vegetables to serve

Preheat oven to 200C. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, flamproof casserole dish over high heat. Add chicken. Cook, skin down for 5 to 6 minutes or until skin is golden brown. Turn and cook for 3 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add onion and thyme to the dish. Cook stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add parsley, basil, rice, tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat.

Place chicken, skin side up, on rice mixture. Season with pepper. Transfer to oven. Roast, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Served with steamed vegetables.

Variations: 1) Add 1 cup pitted kalamata olives to the rice. 2) Add 1 chopped chorizo with the onion.

I used dried thyme and basil. Boys all loved it

Custard Powder Biscuits

These were a hit in the lunch boxes today, but I might need to try and tweak them so they are a bit healthier!

• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup custard powder
• 80g white chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
3. Sift flour and custard powder together over butter mixture. Add white chocolate and stir until mixture forms a soft dough.
4. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place on prepared trays, allowing room for spreading. Using a fork, press dough to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Stand on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Apple and Custard Crumble

From Super Food Ideas Winter Warmers

1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tbs vanilla custard powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
800 g can of pie apples
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
100 g butter
Cream and/or icecream to serve

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, whisk 1 1/2 tbs custard powder, 2 tbs caster sugar and 2 tbs cold water in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Add hot milk mixture in a dthin stream, whicking constantly. Return mixture to the pan.

Cook, whisking over medium heat until mixture comes to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Stir for 3 minutes or until reduced slightly.

Spoon apples into a six 1 cup capacity oven proof dishes. Pour over custard.

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, remaining custard powder and remaining sugar in a bowl, stir to combine. Add butter. Using your fingertips rub butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Scatter crumble over custard. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve with cream or icecream.

You can make 1 large crumble, by placing ingredients in a 6 cup capacity ovenproof dish. Bake for 30 minute or until golden.

I stewed my own apples in the microwave on the automatic stewed fruit setting, without any sugar. I also used wholemeal flour. Very yummy!

Lamb, Bean and Vegetable Soup

From a Woman's Weekly from 1998!

Can be made a day ahead.

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 kg lamb shanks
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1.5 L vegetable stock
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
2 small parsnips, diced
1 medium swede, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 x 300g cans butter beans, rinsed, drained
1 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves

Heat half the oil in a large pan, add lamb in batches, cook until well browned all over. Heat remaining oil in the same pan, cook onion, stirring until soft. Add spices; stir until fragrant. Return lamb to pan with stock, sauce, paste and undrained tomatoes. Simmer, covered for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add parsnips, swede, celery and carrot to pan, simmer covered about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove meat from bones, cut into large pieces and discard bones. Retrun meat to pan with beans, simmer uncovered another 10 minutes and stir in coriander.

To freeze, refrigerate soup until cold; skim any fat from the surface and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a large pan, simmer uncovered until heated through.

Serves 4 - 6

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pie

From a Woman's Weekly from 1999!

1 medium leek (350g) sliced
60g butter
200g button mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tbs seeded mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cups cooked chicken
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
1 tbs milk extra
ready rolled puff pastry

To prepare leek, remove dark green top and root end; cut leek in half lengthways. Hold leek under running water opening leaves to allow water to flow between leaves and rinse away grit, or swish in a bowl of water until clean.
Heat butter in a large pan; cook mushrooms, stirring until browned lightly. Add leek, cook stirring until leek is soft.. Stir in flour and stock powder; cook stirring for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk then mustard, cook stirring until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, stir in parsley, chicken and pepper, cool.
Place chicken mixture in oiled 7 cup capacity oven proof dish. Brush rim of dish with a little of the combined egg yolk and milk. Cut pastry to fit dish, trim edges. Make a strip 1.5 cm wide and long enough to fit the edge of the dish to make a double edge to give more puff. Scallop the edge of the pie if desired by pressing an upturned teaspoon into the pastry. Using a sharp knife, mark the sides of the pastry so that it puffs more during cooking. Place dish on an oven tray bake in a very hot oven (240C) for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 180C and bake for a further 10 minutes or until browned.

Serves 4 to 6. Suitable to freeze.

I used my new pan, which I am loving! I cooked the chicken in it first, then made the filling, then just put the pastry on top and popped it in the oven. I am all for reducing the number of dishes as much as possible!

Tollhouse Cookies

1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
125g butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
100g choc bits, I used dark choc bits

Set oven to 180C
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Stir in sifted flour and bicarb, and choc bits until well blended. Form into 5cm size pieces and place on greased baking trays, leaving room for spreading. Top with extra choc bits and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Nigella Lawson's Cupcake recipe

From this cleaver blog

250g softened unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
3 large eggs
250g self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 200 (or 400)

Throw all ingredients into a food processor. Mix until combined. Spoon into cupcake case lined muffin tin - fill them 2/3 full. Cook for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden and springy on the top. Ice with your favourite icing, I topped them with hundreds and thousands as well. Fantastic and very popular. Might also be nice with a bit of orange zest!

Lemon Loaf

1 tbsp (20g) polyunsaturated margarine
3/4 cup (175g) caster sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups (180g) self raising flour
juice and rind of 1 lemon
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar, extra

Cream margarine and sugar until soft, then gradually beat in the eggs, flour, lemon rind and milk.

Pour into a lined, greased and floured 20 cm loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 35 minutes or until golden on top and an insrted skewer comes out clean.

Mix together lemon juice and extra sugar, remove loaf from oven and slowly pour on the lemon syrup. Remove from tin.

Lemon chicken with olives

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1.2kg chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 brown onion, halved, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1 small lemon, sliced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
• 1 cup (180g) pitted kalamata olives

Method

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to a plate.
2. Add onion and garlic to saucepan. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until just soft. Return chicken to saucepan. Add tomatoes, lemon, sugar and oregano. Bring to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickened. Stir in olives. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Red lentil & pumpkin soup

Red lentil & pumpkin soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Olive oil spray
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 1cm-pieces
• 175g (3/4 cup) red lentils, rinsed
• 1.25L (5 cups) water
• 1x 10g Massel Salt-Reduced Vegetable stock cube
• 90g (1/3 cup) low-fat natural yoghurt
• Fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Spray with olive oil spray. Add the onion and cook, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
2. Add the pumpkin, lentils, water and stock cube. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin and lentils are soft. Set aside to cool.
3. Ladle half the lentil mixture into the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Repeat with the remaining lentil mixture.
4. Place the soup over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until heated through. Season with pepper. Ladle among serving bowls. Top with the yoghurt and coriander to serve.

Another Silverbeet Recipe

Chicken and chickpea stew with chorizo

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 chicken pieces (e.g. thighs, drumsticks)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 onion, halved and finely sliced
• 60ml dry sherry or white wine
• 400g canned tomatoes, chopped
• 200g potato, peeled and finely diced
• 600ml stock or water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp paprika
• sea salt and pepper
• 300g silverbeet or English spinach leaves
• 400g canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 fresh chorizo sausages, mild or hot
  
  

Chef: Jill Dupleix Photo: Marina Oliphant Source: The Age Tuesday July 22, 2008 Spanish, 45 mins plus, Healthy, Kid-friendly, Wheat free, Dairy free, Nut free, Egg free, Dinner

A lively, spicy winter stew that doesn't take hours of cooking. Rather than use flour to thicken it, just mash some of the diced potato back into the sauce before serving.

Method

- Heat half the olive oil in a heavy lidded pan. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes on either side until golden brown, and set aside.
- Add remaining oil and cook the onions and garlic over low heat for
10 to 15 minutes until softened. Add the dry sherry and boil for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, potato, stock, bay leaves, paprika, sea salt and pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer gently, partly covered, for a good 30 minutes.
- Finely shred the silverbeet leaves and add with the chickpeas. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- At the last minute, slice the chorizo sausages on the diagonal, and pan-fry in a small dry fry pan until sizzling. Serve the chicken stew topped with chorizo and its pan juices.

Serves 4

Yummy! Another good combination of silverbeet, chickpea and chorizo.

Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Chick Pea Soup

* 1 onion, finely diced
* 500g pumpkin, chopped
* 250g sweet potato, chopped
* 2 cups liquid chicken stock
* 300g can Chick Peas, undrained
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* Chopped fresh coriander leaves for serving

Place, frozen onions, pumpkin, sweet potato, stock and chick peas in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cumin and puree soup, reheat if necessary and serve garnished with coriander

Pear and Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding

Preparation 25 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Serves 6

Melted butter for greasing
250g pitted dried dates
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 firm ripe pears
90g unsalted butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup brown sugar
300ml cream
Extra 100g unsalted butter
Cream to serve, (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a 20 cm springform tin with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. Chop dates with scissors dipped in hot water. Put dates and water in a medium heavy based saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in bicarb and stand until lukewarm.

Peel each pear , then cut into quarters and remove core. Cut each quarter into 3 slices. Arrange pear slices in the base of prepared tin. Using electric beaters, beat the butter, caster sugar and vanilla bean paste and eggs in a small bowl until light and creamy. Transfer the creamed butter mixture to a large bowl.

Sift flour and cocoa onto the creamed butter mixture. Add the cooled date mixture, then mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spoon the date mixture over the pears in the prepared tin. Smooth the top of the pudding and bake 40 - 45 minutes.

Put brown sugar, cream and extra butter in a small heavy based pan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer the sauce, uncovered for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and pour over 1/2 cup of the hot sauce. Return pudding to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Serve the pudding hot, in wedges, with remaining sauce and cream if desired.

From Better Homes and Gardens.

I did things slightly differently as I was making this pudding after our guests had arrived and I was a bit distracted! I added the bicarb before boiling the dates, I also creamed the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon. I used vanilla essence instead of paste and thought the mixture was a bit dry after adding the dry ingredients at which point I remembered to add the eggs. Despite all this it worked out well and was delicious!

Spicy Casserole

A yummy recipe from my mum. I make it in the slow cooker, mix meat and dry ingredients the night before, then add liquids in the morning and get it going.

2lbs chuck steak, or similar

1tsp dry mustard

1tsp mixed spice

1 tsp salt

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground ginger

3 dsp brown sugar

3 tbs flour

1 dsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ cup tomato sauce

¼ cup vinegar

1 beef stock cube

2 ½ cups water

Combine dry ingredients. Trim fat from meat, cut into 2” cubes. Toss meat in dry ingredients. Refrigerate 2 hours. Combine remaining ingredients. Put meat into casserole dish, pour liquids over. Cover and cook in a moderate over 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender.

Possibly The Best Apple Crumble

I have made and eaten quite a lot of apple crumble in my time and this is one of the better ones. Sometimes I have made crumble without flour, using rolled oats and coconut instead, but flour is the best for giving a great smooth texture. I also had a glut of red delicious apples, which I would not have normally used in apple crumble. I think I found this recipe by searching for red delicious recipes. I was a bit heavy handed with the slivered almonds, but it turned out great.



A Woolworths Recipe

Serves: 6
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbs cornflour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup sultanas
4 large Red Delicious apples
2 tbs water
1 tbs lemon juice
¾ cup plain flour
60g cold butter, chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 4-cup ovenproof dish and place on a baking tray.

2. Combine 2 tbs of the brown sugar with cornflour, cinnamon and sultanas in a bowl. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and toss in flour mixture to coat. Layer into prepared dish and sprinkle over combined water and lemon juice.

3. Mix flour and remaining sugar together in a bowl. Add butter and rub into flour with fingertips until crumbly. Mix in almonds. Scatter over apple, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove foil and cook for 30 mins more until golden. Serve with cream or ice cream.




Nutritional Information
Per Serve:
4.5g protein
13g fat (5.5g saturated fat)
63g carbohydrates
5g dietary fibre
1600 kJ

More Lunchbox Biscuits

Apricot Choc Chip Biscuits

Very yummy chocolate chip bikkies with the goodness and texture of dried apricots.

Recipe provided by:

Allrecipes

Ingredients

* 125g (1 cup) plain flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 125g butter, softened
* 125g (1/2 cup) raw sugar
* 90g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 150g (1 cup) chocolate chips
* 125g (1 cup) chopped dried apricots

Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Grease a biscuit tray.
2. Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl. Beat together the butter, raw sugar and brown sugar in a bowl until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg, vanilla and salt. Stir the flour and baking soda into the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips and apricots.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the biscuit tray.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow biscuits to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

I have one son who found these a bit too sweet, but the other 2 loved them. The second time I made them I used 20g less sugar, and might try reducing it further. I might also try using some wholemeal flour.

Jamie Oliver's Slow Roasted Spiced Pork Loin with Black Eyed Beans and Tomatoes

This dish works as described here, but you can also stuff into hot flour tortillias or pita breads to be eaten like a kind of fajita or burrito - supurb.

Serves 8
7lb (3.2kg) rib end loin of pork with skin on French trimmed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tsp smoked papriks
juice of one lemon
olive oil
3 red onions, finely sliced
6 - 8 fresh red, yellow and green chillies
7oz (200g) small whole chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
6 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 14oz (400g) can of good quality plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 handfuls of fresh ripe tomatoes, halved
4 14oz (400G) cans of black eyed beans, drained
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 475F (250 C). First, score the skin of the pork in a criss cross pattern every 1/2 inch with a sharp knife, trying not to cut into the meat itself. Mix a little salt with a teaspoon of paprika, the lemon juice and a little olive oil, then rub this over the meal and into the score lines. Put the meat ina high sided roasting pan and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes to start the skin crisping up.

Remove the meat from the oven, turning the heat down to 350F (180C). Take the pork out of the pan and put it to one side, then spoon out half the fat and discard it. Place the pan on the stovetop, add the onions, whole chillies, chorizo, bay leaves and rosemary with the remaining paprika, and fry gently until onions are soft. Add all the tomatoes, the beans, garlic, parsley and a wine glass of water to the pan, stirring and scraping up all the lovely sticky bit from the bottom. Place the pork on top, returning to the oven and cook for another hour or so until the skin is crispy and the meat is meltingly tender.

When cooked, remove the pork from the pan and allow to rest. Take the sauce and season with salt pepper and a few swigs of red wine vinegar to give it a twang. Then remove the chillies and control the heat by chopping up as much chilli as you like, stirring it back into the sauce. Lovely served with sour cream.

-------------------------------------

I looked for black eyed beans but could not find them so I used cannelleni beans instead. I couldn't get a rib end loin of pork, so I used a rolled shoulder roast, it seemed to work well. Very yummy!

Lunchbox biscuits

I am tired of going through lots of packet of biscuits for my boys lunchboxes. They enjoyed eating these at my mum's house in the holidays, so I got the recipe from her. My mum used to make them a lot when I was little, she got the recipe from her mother. They were always called Buddle cakes, named so because the Buddle boys, who were neighbours of my mum when she was little always had these biscuits.

Currant Cake (Buddle cakes)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

¾ lb currants

1 tsp cream of tarter

½ tsp bicarb soda

few drops of lemon essence

¼ lb butter

¾ cup milk

Method:

Cream butter and sugar well, add eggs, milk, with the dissolved soda, sift in flour and cream of tarter, lastly add currants.

Bake in a moderate oven (180C) for ¾ to 1 hour.

For small cakes, add 1 cup coconut, and no milk, essence vanilla. Bake in a hot oven 450F to 500F.

This was my grandma's recipe, but I found they were better baked at 180C for 10 - 15 minutes. I'm lucky I have an electric oven and not a wood fired one like hers! I do have fond memories of making toast on a big fork in front of the open oven though!

Easy Shepherds Pie

Ingredients

Base
1kg beef mince
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 large onion
1 zucchini, finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
4 teaspoons gravy powder
1/4 teaspoons mixed herbs
1 1/2 cups water

Topping
750g potatoes (I used some sweet potato)
2 large tomatoes
Grated cheese

Method

1. Base. Heat oil in an oven proof frying pan and brown mince
2. Add onion, zucchini and carrot. Fry until cooked evenly
3. Make gravy in about 2 tablespoons of water and pour into the meat and vegetable mixture
4. Gradually add the rest of water and herbs, and simmer for 10 minutes or until gravy is thickened.
5. Topping: Boil and mash potatoes
6. Place tomato slices evenly over meat mixture.
7. Top with mashed potato and sprinkle with cheese.
8. Bake at 180C for 25 - 30 minutes or until potato is browned.

I also added some worcestershire sauce for extra flavour.

Spiced fried fish with lemon pistachio couscous

From the AWW website. I used trevally, it was delicious!

Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Modern Australian
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes
Special options: Heart friendly, Lactose free, Low Carb, Low fat, Low GI
Course: Lunch, Main
Favourite flavours: Easy recipes, Seafood

INGREDIENTS

We used bream, but you can use any firm white fish fillet, such as perch, blue eye or ling.

1 tablespoon plain flour
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 (800g) bream fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil

Lemon pistachio couscous
1 cup (200g) couscous
¾ cup (180ml) boiling water
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
½ cup (70g) pistachios
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small (100g) red onion, chopped finely
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

METHOD

Lemon pistachio couscous

Combine couscous, boiling water, lemon rind and juice in a medium heatproof bowl. Cover; stand about 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed; fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan; dry-fry pistachios until fragrant. Remove nuts from pan. Heat oil in same pan, add garlic and onion; cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Stir nuts, onion mixture and mint through couscous. Cover to keep warm.


Combine flour and spices in a medium bowl; add fish, rub spice mixture over fish.

Heat oil in large non-stick frying pan; cook fish, in batches, until browned on both sides and cooked as desired.

Serve fish with lemon pistachio couscous and wedges of lemon, if desired.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

WINE: Try the fresh, lemony taste of a young semillon with these flavours.

Super Easy Muffins

Ingredients
220 self raising flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I used peanut)
3/4 cup of milk (or buttermilk)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
150g added flavours (I used frozen raspberries and white chocolate, can use other chocolate, grated apple, mashed banana, passionfruit pulp, dates, pumpkin etc)

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease muffin tins or use liners. Mix all dry ingredients together and make a well. Mix all wet ingredients together and pour into the well. Add flavourings and mix well until just combined. Place in tins and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note
Over mixing will toughen the muffins. Weighing the flour makes nicer muffins. Only use 150g of flavourings.

Yummy!

Beer Can Chicken

An old faithful.

Remove fat from inside the chicken. Spray the chicken with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Take a few swigs from the beer can and add some Worcestershire sauce. Sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in a foil tray on top of the bbq and close the lid. Cook for about 2 hours at about 190C.

Lime Pie with Caramel Bananas

Some friends came over for dinner and my husband requested this recipe from the latest Good Taste Magazine.

Serves 8
Preparation 40 mins plus cooling time
Cooking 55 min

2 25x25cm frozen ready rolled shortcrust pastry, just thawed
2 250g packets cream cheese, at room temperature, coarsely chopped
1 395g can sweetened condensed milk
125ml (1/2 cup) fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
1 1/2 tbs finely grated lime rind
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tbs plain flour
200g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbs dark rum
2 firm ripe bananas, peeled, thinly sliced.

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a 4cm deep 23cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with removable base with the pastry and trim excess.

2. Line the pastry case with non stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180C . Remove the paper and pastry weights or rice. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is dry to touch.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 160C. Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and condensed milk in a bowl until smooth. Add the lime juice and rind, egg yolks and egg, and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Set aside to cool.

4. Place sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil without stirring. Boil for 6 minutes or until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat, and add the evaporated milk. Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute, swirling the pan to combine. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

5. Add vanilla and rum to the caramel and gently stir to coat. Cut the pie into wedges and top with caramel bananas to serve.

Per serve 15g protein, 37g fat (21g saturated), 74 g carbs, 1.5g fibre, 2870kg (685 Cals!!!!)

Bread Pudding

I wanted to use some left over mixed dried fruit, and I found this recipe for Bread Pudding.

225g bread
275ml milk
50g melted butter
75g sugar
1 egg beaten
2tsp mixed spice
175 g mixed dried fruit

Tear up bread, or use fresh bread crumbs and mix with milk. Leave 30 min and then give it a really good beating. Add dried fruit, butter,sugar,mixed spice,and egg. Beat again. Spoon into a buttered dish, I sprinkle a little more sugar, mixed spice and a few dots of butter on top. Bake in preheatd oven 180C for about 1 1/4hrs. Can also be made in muffin tins for the children to take to school.

I also made old faithful hamburgers today

1 kg mince
1 onion finely diced
2 pkts chicken noodle soup
2 cups SR flour
2 cups water
2 cups milk
4 eggs
salt and pepper
thyme
and any other finely chopped veggies you can sneak in

Mix all together and cook large spoonfuls in frying pan.

Super Sunday Salads!

Tomato and Bocconcini Salad

Slice tomatoes and bocconcini and arrange on a plate in concentric circles. Top with fresh basil and black pepper. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Rocket, Pear and Camembert Salad

Combine rocket, sliced pear, sliced Camembert and walnuts. Dress with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Yum!

Perfect Picnic

Parmesan chicken baguettes with caper mayonnaise

4 chicken breast fillets
1 cup plain flour
Salt and pepper
60ml (¼ cup) milk
2 eggs
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated parmesan
1/2 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
1 tbsp butter
80ml (1/³ cup) olive oil
6 baguettes, baby rocket leaves and caper mayonnaise (below), to serve

Place each chicken breast between a double layer of plastic wrap and flatten slightly with the side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Cut each breast into 3 strips.

Place flour in a shallow bowl and season with 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste. In a second bowl, lightly beat milk and eggs together. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan and herbs in a third bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Dip fillets in flour to coat, then in the egg mix and lastly in the breadcrumbs.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large, non-stick frypan over medium heat. Place schnitzels in the pan (don't overcrowd - cook in batches if necessary) and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side until golden brown. Turn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan, drain on paper towel. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until ready to transport. When ready to serve, fill baguettes with baby rocket leaves, top with 2 schnitzel strips and a dollop of the caper mayonnaise.

Serves 6

Caper mayonnaise

160ml (²/³ cup) whole-egg mayonnaise
1 tbsp baby salted capers, rinsed, chopped
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

Stir ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Cranberry and white chocolate biscuits

150g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
125g (1 cup) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup white chocolate chunks
²/³ cup sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 180C, line 3 baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and stir until combined. Add the oats, chocolate and cranberries and stir to combine.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture and place on baking trays. Flatten the balls with a fork dipped in flour. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden.

Remove from oven and cool on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 18

Potato salad with celery, parsley and mint

80ml (1/³ cup) extra virgin olive oil
40ml lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed with a little sea salt
2 tsp caster sugar
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped mint
¼ cup chopped parsley
4 long green shallots, finely sliced
2 celery stalks, cut into batons
1 tbsp baby capers
1kg unpeeled kipfler potatoes

Place oil, juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until combined. Stir in herbs, shallots, celery and capers.

Cook potatoes in a large saucepan full of salted boiling water until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes before peeling

and slicing. Add potatoes to dressing while still warm. Stir gently to combine.

Serves 6

From the Sydney Morning Herald

Sausages with tomato, red onion & mashed potato

From Taste

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 medium (about 800g) brushed or Pontiac potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
• 8 (about 700g) pork Old English sausages
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 medium red onions, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 400g can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 20g (1 tbs) butter or margarine
• 60 mls (1/4 cup) milk

Method

1. Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes or until soft. Drain.
   
2. Meanwhile, heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook the pork sausages, turning often, for 4-5 minutes or until browned. Drain on paper towel and keep warm. Remove excess fat from pan then add the garlic and onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Return the sausages to the pan, cover and simmer over medium- low heat for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sausages are cooked through. Meanwhile, combine potatoes with butter or margarine, milk and salt and pepper to taste and mash until smooth. Serve sausages with tomato and onion sauce plus the mashed potato.

Cheats Summer Pudding

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
250g strawberries
120g raspberries
250g marscapone
1 tbs honey
4 slices white bread, crusts removed

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the berries and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the berries are tender. Allow the mixture to cool, strain the berries and set aside. Combine the marscapone and honey. Spread 2 bread slices with marscapone and sandwich with the remaining bread. Cut each sandwich in half and dip in the reserved juice. Top with the berries and any extra juice.

Serves 4

Yummy!

Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

Entertained some boys who have a preference for Chicken drumsticks.

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients
100mls Ketjap Manis
16 chicken drumsticks
100 ml oyster sauce
100 ml tomato sauce
2-3 gloves finely chopped garlic
Juice from one lemon
100mls olive oil
Piri Piri

1. Mix together Ketjap Manis (soy sauce), oyster & tomato sauce, garlic, lemon juice to make a marinate.
2. Add to chicken legs. Sprinkle lightly with Piri Piri. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
3. Cook in a moderate oven for one hour.

I fiddled the quantities a bit, and did not have quite enough soy sauce. I didn't use Piri Piri. Still tasted great and were popular. Leftovers were good too!

Coriander Dip

My lovely friend has this brilliant recipe for coriander dip.

1 bunch coriander
1/2 bunch parsley, or a bit less if you find it too bitey
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup cashews (optional)
3/4 - 1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Put herbs, garlic, cheese, tomatoes, and nuts into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add oil while processor is running, until the desired consistency is achieved.

Enjoy!