Anzac Biscuits

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup coconut
125g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup and stir over gentle heat until melted. Mix soda with boiling water and add to melted butter mixture. Stir butter mix into dry ingredients. Take teaspoonfuls of mix and place on a lightly greased tray and allow room for spreading. Cook in a slow oven (150 degrees) for about 20 mins. Loosen while warm and then cool on tray.

Maisie's Chicken Curry

4 cups cooked chicken squares
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped red capsicum
1/4 cup plain flour
3-4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
6 tsp chicken stock powder
2 1/2 cups waer
1 tbsp fruit chutney
1 jar light cream

Saute celery and onion in butter till cooked then add flour, curry powder, turmeric and paprika. cook for a minute or two, add chicken stock and water. Stir till sauce thickens, then add capsicum, cream and chutney.

Toblerone Cheesecake

1-cup plain chocolate biscuit crumbs
1/3 cup (8ozs) butter, melted
¼ cup ground almonds
250 block Regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ cup castor sugar
200g Toblerone Milk or Dark Chocolate, melted
½ cup thickened cream

To serve/ Garnish
35g Toblerone, for shaving

Method:

Combine biscuit crumbs, butter & almonds, press into the base of a lightly greased 22cm springform pan. Chill.
Beat Philly Cream Cheese with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add sugar, melted Toblerone and cream, continue beating until well combined.
Pour onto prepared crumb base & refrigerate 2 – 3 hours until set or overnight.
Top with shaved Toblerone.

Spinach, ricotta and mushroom lasagne

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can diced tomatoes
250g button mushrooms, sliced
2 bunches english spinach, trimmed, chopped coarsely
500g fresh ricotta
¾ cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 fresh lasagne sheets
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
salad to serve


1. Preheat oven to hot, 200°C. Lightly grease an 8-cup ovenproof baking dish.

2. In a large saucepan, heat half the oil on high. Sauté onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until tender. Stir in tomato. Remove from pan. Set aside.

3. Wipe out pan. Heat remaining oil in pan on high. Sauté mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add spinach. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until spinach just wilts. Season to taste.

4. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, milk and eggs. Season.

5. Spoon 1/3 tomato mixture into prepared dish. Cover with 2 lasagne sheets, cutting to fit. Spoon over 1/3 tomato mixture, ½ mushroom mixture and ½ ricotta mixture.

6. Repeat layers, finishing with ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until tender and golden. Serve with salad.

Fetta, Cheddar & Chive Muffins

Serves: Makes 12 muffins

2½ cups self-raising flour
½ tspn bicarb of soda
a good pinch of sea salt
50 gm freshly grated Parmesan
140 gm+ grated tasty cheese
75 gm fetta, crumbled or cubed
freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
100 gm+ unsalted butter
300 ml buttermilk
2 eggs
olive oil spray


Method:
Preheat oven to 190°C.

Sift flour, bicarb and salt into a large bowl.

Add the cheeses, ground pepper and chives. Gently mix with a wooden spoon and make a well in the centre.

Melt 100 gm butter and whisk together with buttermilk and eggs in another bowl. Then pour into the well and stir until just incorporated. (Batter should not be smooth, DON’T OVER MIX.)

Lightly oil a 12-hole muffin tin and evenly spoon in the batter. Sprinkle with a little extra tasty cheese and cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Rest for 5 mins before turning out.

Serve muffins warm with unsalted butter on the side.

Banana bread

• Melted low-fat dairy spread, to grease
• 265g (1 3/4 cups) self-raising flour
• 40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 125ml (1/2 cup) skim milk
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 50g butter, melted, cooled
• 2 overripe medium bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted dairy spread to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.
   
   
2. Sift the combined flours and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Place the milk, eggs, melted butter and banana in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
   
   
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Baklava fingers

• 3/4 cup sesame seeds
• 4 cups (400g) walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
• 8 sheets filo pastry
• 100g butter, melted
• 1 small lemon
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a shallow baking tray.
   
   
2. Place sesame seeds in a small, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook, shaking pan gently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and toasted. Transfer to a bowl. Add walnuts and cinnamon. Mix well.
   
   
3. Brush 1 pastry sheet with butter. Fold in half crossways to form a rectangle.
   
   
4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup walnut mixture evenly over pastry. Starting from one long end, roll up into a log. Brush with butter. Place on baking tray. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter and walnut mixture. Bake baklava for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on baking tray.
   
   
5. Make honey syrup: Peel 1 large strip rind from lemon. Remove the pith. Juice half the lemon. Place lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves and 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until honey syrup thickens slightly.
   
   
6. Pour hot honey syrup over cold baklava. Stand for 30 minutes or until baklava has absorbed syrup. Cut each baklava diagonally into 3 pieces. Serve.

Apple Sorbet

• 10 (about 1.5kg) granny smith apples
• 175g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 330ml (1 1/3 cups) water
• 80ml (1/3 cup) fresh lemon juice
• 1 egg white

1. Place a shallow metal container in the freezer to chill while preparing the sorbet.
   
   
2. Cut the apples into quarters and process in a juice extractor. You should get about 1L (4 cups) of apple juice.
   
   
3. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in the apple and lemon juices.
   
   
4. Strain into the chilled container. Cover with foil and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until almost set.
   
   
5. Roughly break up the frozen sorbet with a metal spoon and quickly transfer it to the bowl of a food processor, add the egg white. Process very briefly until the sorbet reaches a smooth, soft icy texture. The texture of the finished sorbet will depend on how finely the ice crystals are broken up at this stage. It is important you do not overprocess the sorbet or it will turn into a liquid.
   
   
6. Quickly return the sorbet to the metal container. Cover with foil and return to the freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight until firm. Remove from freezer 5 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop sorbet into serving glasses. Serve immediately.

** NB I havent tried this one yet!

Hasselback Potatoes

• 2kg sebago potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Place potatoes, 1 at a time, on a large metal spoon. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice potato without going all the way through (the spoon will help to keep the depth even). To prevent browning, keep sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water while preparing remaining potatoes.
   
   
2. Pat potatoes dry with paper towel. Place, cut side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Combine butter, oil, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper in a bowl. Brush three-quarters of the butter mixture over potatoes. Roast potatoes for 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
   
   
3. Brush potatoes with remaining butter mixture. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and tender.

Vege Spring Rolls

• 375g fresh, thin, egg noodles
• 1/4 Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 small carrots, coarsely grated
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 12 snow peas, strings removed, thinly sliced
• 12 button mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 275g packet spring roll pastry, thawed
• peanut oil or light olive oil, for frying
• reduced-salt soy sauce, to serve

1. Place noodles into a heat-proof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water.
   
   
2. Combine noodles and vegetables in a bowl. Mix well. Place 1 pastry sheet onto a flat surface, with 1 corner facing you.
   
   
3. Place a heaped tablespoonful of mixture onto corner of pastry. Fold corner over filling. Brush opposite corner with cold water. Roll up. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining filling and pastry.
   
   
4. Pour oil into a saucepan or wok so it is one-third full. Heat over medium-high heat until a piece of bread dropped into oil sizzles. Deep-fry spring rolls, 3 at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with soy sauce.

Fish and Chips with Tartare Sauce

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/4 cups chilled water
• 2 eggwhites
• 4 large desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into thick chips
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 1kg flathead fillets, skin on
• lime wedges, to serve
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 4 IGA Homestead Gherkins, chopped
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1. Make tartare sauce Combine egg yolks and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a food processor. Process for 30 seconds. With the motor running, slowly add oil in a thin, steady stream. Process until thickened. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in gherkin, parsley and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
   
2. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add chilled water. Using a balloon whisk, slowly stir until the consistency of pouring cream, adding more water if necessary. Beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter.
   
   
3. Preheat oven to 150°C. Place a large wire rack over a baking tray. Place potato, no more than 2 layers deep, in a shallow, microwave-safe dish. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Half-fill a large saucepan or wok with oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook potato, in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to wire rack. Keep warm in oven.
   
   
4. Place remaining flour on a plate. Coat both sides of fish fillets in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into batter to coat, allowing excess batter to drain. Cook fish, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes or until batter is golden and crisp. Transfer to rack. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve.
   
   
5. Place fish and chips on plates. Season with salt. Serve with tartare sauce and lime.

Lamb and Potato Pie

This pie has a crisp bread case, a filling of chopped roast lamb in a tomato sauce, and a creamy mashed potato and golden, melted cheese topping. Vegetables could be added to the filling, if you want. Its a lovely comfort food ;) I used lamb mince instead of the roast lamb - either would be lovely.

The pie can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook. If cooked straight from the fridge, you will probably need to increase the cooking time.

Serves 4-6.

540g peeled potatoes, halved or quartered
35g butter
70ml (3 1/2 tablespoons) milk
Salt
60g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) grated tasty cheese

Boil potato in a large saucepan until tender, drain. Mash potato with butter and milk until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and set aside until required.

20g butter
100g finely chopped onion (one small onion)
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock, or one chicken stock cube in 250ml water
40ml (2 tablespoons) tomato sauce
30ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
400g chopped roast lamb
6-7 slices white bread (toast/thick slice)
Extra butter, to butter bread

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees fan forced).

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened. Add flour and stir over heat for about one minute. Stir in tomato paste. Add half the stock and stir until mixture is smooth. Repeat with remaining stock. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper and stir until mixture starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes, stirring occasionally.



Remove from heat and stir in chopped lamb. Set aside until required.

Generously butter bread on one side. Line the base and sides of a 2.6 litre ovenproof dish with bread (buttered side down).



You will probably need to cut the bread so that it fits into the dish snugly and completely covers the base and sides of the dish.



Pour meat filling over bread and spread evenly.



Top with mashed potato.



Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the bread case and the top of the pie are golden.

Salmon with mustard and lime dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 x 200g salmon fillets, deboned, skin on
• Fettucine
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 125g baby spinach

• Mustard and lime dressing

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup thick, plain yoghurt

Method

1. Make mustard and lime dressing. Whisk mustard, caster sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice and yoghurt in a bowl. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 220°C. Using 2 teaspoons oil, brush both sides of salmon fillets. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil. Cook 2 fillets, skin side up, for 1 minute or until light golden. Turn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until skin is crisp. Transfer to a baking tray. Repeat with oil and remaining fillets. Bake salmon for 4 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to hot pan and cook fettucine. Add chives and spinach and stir until wilted.
   
   
5. Spoon fettucine onto plates. Top with salmon. Drizzle over dressing and serve.