Fragrant spiced beef

500grams lean beef stirfry strips
1 tbsn olive oil
1 tspn crushed garlic
1 onion sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn ground cumin
1/2 tspn cinnamon
440gram tin tomatoes chopped with their juice
1 tbsn tomato paste

Mix the beef strips with half the oil and all the garlic. Heat a wok or frypan to a high heat and stirfry the beef strips in 2 batches for a couple of minutes til browned. Remove the meat and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil and stirfry the onion and pine nuts for a couple of minutes til browned, then add spices and stirfry for another half minute or so to warm them and release their aromas.

Return the beef strips to the pan along with the chopped tomatoes and juice and the tomato paste. Mix well and allow to heat through for a few minutes till hot, and serve with rice.

(Cous cous would be yummy as well!!)

Mushroom and rosemary pizza

INGREDIENTS
olive oil
2 teaspoons polenta
1 quantity pizza dough
½ cup (130g) basic tomato sauce
1 cup (100g) grated mozzarella cheese
250g button mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
80g fetta cheese, crumbled

METHOD
Preheat the oven to very hot (240°C). Brush two large rectangular oven trays with a little olive oil, sprinkle with the polenta.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half to 20cm x 35cm rectangle, place on prepared trays.

Spread basic tomato sauce evenly over dough; top with the mozzarella and mushrooms. Combine the rosemary, garlic, oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush over mushrooms.

Bake in a very hot oven for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to moderately hot (200°). Slide pizzas off the trays and directly onto the racks. Top with fetta, bake for a further 5 minutes or until crisp and browned.

Chocolate cherry coconut slice

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients
Base:
150g butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:
3 cups desiccated coconut
395g can NESTLE Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200g red glace cherries, chopped
Icing
60g butter, chopped
200g PLAISTOWE Dark Cooking Chocolate

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line an 18cm x 28cm base measurement slice pan.

To make base: Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Add flour and baking powder. Mix well. Use a metal spoon to press base into pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden.

To make filling: Combine coconut, milk and eggs. Stir in cherries. Spoon over base. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden. Cool.

To make icing: Melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour over coconut filling. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Chicken, ham and mushroom squares

Ingredients (serves 4)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 20g butter
* 750g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
* 200g button mushrooms, sliced
* 3 green onions, thinly sliced
* 100g shaved ham, roughly chopped
* 2 tablespoons plain flour
* 3/4 cup milk or light cream
* 4 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
* 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method
1. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter. When sizzling, add chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, or until lightly browned.

2. Add mushrooms, onions and ham. Stir until well combined. Cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are just softened. Sprinkle over flour, stirring constantly until well combined. Remove from heat. Slowly pour in milk, stirring until smooth. Return to heat. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until sauce comes to the boil. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 even squares. Place 8 squares onto prepared baking trays. Spoon chicken mixture over squares, leaving a 1.5cm border around edges.

4. Place remaining pastry squares over chicken mixture. Using a fork, gently press edges of pastry together to seal. Brush tops with egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Fish leek and potato pie

Ingredients (serves 4)
* 300g chat potatoes, chopped
* 2 large leeks, washed, sliced into rings
* 2 tablespoons fish or vegetable stock
* 250g fish fillets (such as Atlantic salmon, ocean trout or deep sea perch), skin and bones removed
* 2 tablespoons chopped chives
* 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* steamed vegetables, to serve
*
Topping
* 200g low-fat ricotta cheese
* 1 tablespoon light sour cream
* 1 omega-enriched egg

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Place in a bowl. Season with pepper.
2. Combine leeks and stock in the same frying pan. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Cut fish into small chunks. Add leeks, fish, chives and parsley to potatoes. Mix well. Spoon into a greased 8-cup capacity oven dish.
3. Make topping: Using a balloon whisk, whisk cheese, cream and egg in a bowl until well combined.
4. Spread topping over fish mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until topping is browned and fish is cooked through. Serve with steamed vegetables.

Chicken leek and mushroom pot pies

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 sheets frozen ready-rolled butter-puff pastry, partially thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, halved, washed, thinly sliced
150g button mushrooms, sliced
125g feta cheese, crumbled
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 quantity warm bechamel sauce (see recipe below)

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease four 1 1/4-cup capacity ovenproof dishes. Place 1 dish upside down onto 1 sheet pastry. Using dish as a guide, cut a circle 1.5cm larger than dish. Repeat with remaining pastry.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high. Add mushroom. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until mushroom is tender.

Add mushroom mixture, feta, chicken, parsley and salt and pepper to bechamel sauce. Mix well. Spoon filling into dishes. Drape pastry over dishes to cover filling, pressing edges to seal.

Brush pie tops with water. Cut a small cross in tops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onto an oven tray. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed. Serve.

Cheesy meatloaf

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
750 gm lean minced beef
1 egg
freshly ground salt & pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup BBQ sauce or ketchup
1-2 tbsp tomato chutney
½ cup packet breadcrumbs
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 large sheets kitchen foil
grated tasty cheese
cooking oil spray

Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and gently saute onion and garlic until softish. Then combine with minced beef, egg, seasonings, Worcestershire, BBQ sauce, chutney, breadcrumbs and parsley (adding more breadcrumbs or chutney if needed).

Place foil on a workbench, shiny side up, and form meat into a log shape. Then sprinkle cheese on top to taste, pat down and spray foil with oil. Fold up, place in a lightly oiled baking tray and cook in oven, cheese side up, for 50 mins.

Serve with a simple green salad on the side.

Chicken prosciutto and bocconcini parcels

Preparation Time - 5 minutes
Cooking Time - 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)
•8 large (about 200g each) chicken thigh fillets
•Salt & freshly ground black pepper
•4 bocconcini, quartered
•8 large fresh basil leaves
•8 slices prosciutto
•2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the chicken, boned-side up, on a clean work surface. Season with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with 2 pieces of the bocconcini and a basil leaf. Roll up firmly to enclose filling. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each chicken parcel and secure with a toothpick.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken parcels and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a roasting pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven. Cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
3. Cut the chicken parcels in half crossways and serve with whatever you want!

Haloumi kebabs

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 packets haloumi cheese
1½ red onions
1 red capsicum
10 small button mushrooms
metal skewers
juice of ½ lemon
olive oil
freshly ground salt & pepper
1 heaped tspn thyme leaves
1 red chilli, seeded & chopped
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
juice of 1-2 limes
2 tbsp chopped coriander
olive oil spray


Method:
Cut cheese into cubes and then cut 1 red onion, capsicum and mushrooms into similar sized pieces. Carefully thread on to skewers.

To make the marinade, whisk up lemon juice, ¼ cup oil, seasonings and thyme. Pour over the top of the skewers and set aside for about 30 mins, turning every now and gain.

To make the salsa, mix together ½ chopped red onion, chilli, tomatoes, lime juice, seasonings, a splash of oil and coriander. Taste for seasoning.

Then grill skewers on a lightly oiled, preheated ridged grill (or BBQ), brushing with marinade as you do so.

To serve, mound salsa on individual plates and top with skewers and a garnish of coriander sprigs.