Vegetarian Eats
Something Small - 3
Puff Pastry Snacks Cool Canapes Spinach and Feta Swirls Mini tomato and cheese quiches Deep Fried Camembert Winter Soup Pumpkin Soup Brocolli Soup Zuchinni and Haloumi Fritters Cottage Cheese and Avocado Melts Mushroom Bruschetta Cheats Gozleme Lemon Fetta Potato Fritters Arancini Sweet Potato Pasties Rosco’s Greek Salad Rocket Salad Radish Salad Cannellini Bean and Kale Pasta Stuffed Capsicum Sweet Potato Frittata Zuchinni Slice Simple and Quick Pasta Sauce The Perfect Pizza Pumpkin Risotto All in One Pesto Pasta Potato and Corn Fritters Potato Croquettes
The Main Event - 16
Sweet Treats - 26
Date and Lemon Slice Raspberry and White Chocolate Friands Chia and Orange Muffins Fudge and Chocolate Brownies Choc Chip and Macadamia Cookies Healthier Berry Muffins
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Something Small
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Puff Pastry Snacks Ingredients • • • • •
1 sheet puff pastry Parmesan cheese (grated finely) Salt and pepper Either cajun seasoning or paprika Olive oil spray
Method Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celcuis and lightly grease a large, flat baking tray. Layout the puff pastry and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and seasoning. Cut in half lengthways (so you should have two long strips). Then fold over each half lengthways (so it makes even two longer strips) and push down so that the strip is stuck down (this is so that the parmesan etc doesn’t just fall out later). Slice into 1cm wide strips (so by now you should have strips that are about 1cm x 5cm), and then twist as you place each small strip onto the baking dish. Lightly spray with the oil, and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool Canapes One of the easiest ways to present colourful and tasty canapes is to buy mini toasts, or pastry cups and top them with the below combination of ingredients. Beetroot & Feta Chop up a tin of beetroot, and crumble some feta in a bowl. Mix it around (add a bit of parsley for more colour). Tomato and Bocconchini Chop up a tomato (or use half a grape tomato) and slice a baby bocconcini and place them together. You could also add some basil. Mushroom and Cream Cheese Fry up some sliced mushroom (make sure the pan is really hot though, otherwise they lose all their liquid quickly), and then place in a spoon of cream cheese. Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Spread a bit of cream cheese on the toasts and then top with a little tear of smoked salmon…. these are always a winner, but don’t prepare them too early or the toast will not stay crunchy.
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Spinach and Feta Swirls Ingredients • 1 sheet puff pastry • Half a pack of frozen spinach, thawed and the liquid squeezed out • 75g – 100g feta (about the size of a deck of cards, or half a pack) • Some grated parmesan • Salt and pepper to taste • Dash of smoked paprika if you’re like me and can’t get enough of it • Spray olive oil Method Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees and spray with the olive oil. Mix the spinach, cheese, salt and pepper, and paprika together, and then spread over the puff pastry, leaving a gap at one end. Roll up, leaving the empty gap to be the last bit to roll up, and wet with some water just before you roll it up (I usually just put my fingers under running water and run them along the edge – this just makes it stick together a bit better). Make sure it is rolled tightly. Cut into slices and place onto the baking dish. Remember to be gentle with the knife so you don’t squash it all up. Place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
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Mini tomato and cheese quiches Ingredients (makes 24) • 2 sheets puff pastry • 24 baby tomatoes (or less depending on whether you chop them in half or quarters) • About 1 cup grated cheddar cheese • 2 eggs, whisked • Teeny bit of milk • Olive oil spray Method Spray the little cupcake tins with the olive oil spray, preheat the oven to about 200 degrees and defrost the puff pastry (if you’re like me and always have it frozen). Put a teeny bit of milk (like 1TB or so) into the egg mixture. Chop the baby tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size. Get the top of a wine glass and cut out little circles and place them in the holes, and then add two to four bits of tomato, and a pinch of cheddar to each quiche. Then, put a dash (honestly, you only need the tiniest bit) of egg into each one. Put into the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until golden.
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Deep Fried Camembert Ingredients • 1 block camembert cheese (must be about 6 months from expiry) • Breadcrumbs • Egg (beaten) • Oil for frying Method Score cheese all over (so crumbed texture remains) and then cut into little triangles (should make 6-8) Dip cheese triangles into egg and then flour to crumb. Repeat process. When all cheese has been crumbed place in the fridge (optional) Heat oil in small saucepan- test by dipping a small piece of bread into the oil and see if it starts to sizzle. Make sure it is not too hot though or cheese will brown but not cook. Deep fry cheese in small batches until golden brown. If you are not sure if cheese is cooked place in preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Serving suggestion Serve with cranberry sauce or strawberry jam
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Winter Soup Ingredients • 2 french shallots • 3 cloves garlic • 2 medium sized potatoes • 1/2 head of broccoli (worked out to be about 7 large-ish florets) • Olive oil • 50g butter • Salt and pepper for seasoning • 2 cups vegetable stock • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese • 1/2 cup reduced fat milk Method Chop the shallots and place them in a frypan or saucepan (I used my cast iron pan with lid) with a good dollop of olive oil and the butter. Add the garlic shortly after and fry until golden brown. Add the potatoes and stir for a few minutes, and then add the vegetable stock (I always boil the kettle for my stock, so when it is added it doesn’t stop the cooking process). Put the lid on and let it simmer away for about 10 minutes. Take off the lid and then add the broccoli and repeat for about 10 minutes. Once both the potatoes and broccoli are cooked, add the cheddar and milk, and then put in the blender or use your slender blender to blend. Season with salt and pepper (but be careful not to put too much salt in), and then return to the heat to warm it up again. I served with a sprinkle of cajun seasoning to give it some bite. I can imagine that you could add a tonne of things to this soup such as carrots, celery, or even swap the cheddar for a stilton cheese for a different flavour.
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Pumpkin Soup Ingredients • ¼ pumpkin or ½ butternut pumpkin • ¾ cup vegetable or chicken stock (with warm water – I usually boil the kettle) • ¾ cup milk (or to whatever your desired creaminess is!) • Pinch chilli powder • Salt and pepper to taste Method Chop and cook the pumpkin in the microwave (approximately 6 minutes on high), or cook as you normally would (steam, par-boil, roast…). Place in a bowl with the stock, milk, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of pumpkin. Place in a saucepan and stir until hot. Leftover soup can be frozen and reheated in the microwave (approx 4 minutes) Serving Suggestion Garnish with cream, chives or croutons. Serve with crunchy bread that has been grilled with grated parmesan.
Brocolli Soup Ingredients • • • • • • • •
1 shallot or small onion 1 clove garlic 2 cups veggie stock 1 stem broccoli (including the stem) 1 potato 2 big spoons cream cheese (about 80g) Handful grated cheddar cheese Teeny dash of olive oil
Method Cook the shallot with a teeny bit of oil until it goes glassy. Add the potato and the stock and bring to the boil. After about 5-10 minutes, add the broccoli and minced garlic and continue to cook until the potato is pretty much cooked (you can tell because you can stick a fork in easily). Bring out the slender blender and blend until it is smooth. Add the cream cheese and stir in until blended. Add the cheddar cheese and again stir in until it is melted. 9
Zuchinni and Haloumi Fritters Ingredients • • • • • •
1 zucchini 2 sliced spring onions 1 block grated haloumi cheese 1/3C plain flour 2 eggs Oil for cooking
Method Grate zucchini and squeeze out any liquid. Place in a mixing bowl and add spring onions, haloumi cheese, flour and eggs. Spoon into the frypan and fry in the oil until golden brown. Serve immediately Serving options Can be served with greek yoghurt and a small squeeze of lemon juice.
Cottage Cheese and Avocado Melts Ingredients • • • • •
½ avocado 2 slices bread (I eat Bodhi’s Dinklebrot Spelt bread) 2 big spoons cottage cheese (about 50-75g) 2 slices cheddar cheese Pepper to taste
Method Toast bread on one side under the grill. Then turn over, spread cottage cheese, place sliced avocado on top and a slice of cheddar cheese and place back under the grill until the cheese is melted. Season with pepper.
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Mushroom Bruschetta Ingredients • 1 loaf of crusty bread (like Pane de Casa) • 10 mushrooms (or a selection of wild field mushrooms) • Half a tub of cream cheese (the light stuff is fine for this recipe) • 1 clove of garlic • Olive Oil Spray • Handful of parsley Method Preheat a pan on very high heat (it’s the secret to frying mushrooms), and also the grill on fairly high. Give the frypan a light spray of olive oil and then fry the mushrooms. Slice the bread, spray with olive oil on each side, and then grill each side. Add to the mushroom mixture the chopped parsley, and then after a few moments add the cream cheese. Stir until it is mixed in and then top on the bread.
Cheats Gozleme Ingredients • 100g fresh chopped spinach (I just used some frozen spinach and squeezed out the excess liquid) • 2 sprigs spring onion • About 40g grated cheddar • About 20g crumbled feta • 1 x Lebanese bread • Olive oil • Chopped fresh chilli (optional) • Lemon wedge Method Separate the top and bottom bit of the Lebanese bread (as if you’re making a pocket and filling inside, but I found it easier to just break it right apart. Lightly fry the spinach, chilli and spring onion (for about 60 seconds) in a teeny dash of olive oil. Then, spread this over one half of the Lebanese bread, along with the cheeses. Put the top back on, and fry for a few minutes on each side. Serve with a lemon wedge.
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Lemon Fetta Potato Fritters Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
5 medium sized potatoes 100g fetta cheese Three tablespoons chopped parsley Zest and juice of one lemon 1 cup flour (I used wholemeal spelt flour, for no reason, other than that it was the first flour I grabbed from the pantry) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus some more for the pan) Two eggs 1 tablespoon paprika Salt and pepper to taste
Method Chop the potatoes and boil or steam them until they’re fully cooked (you can tell because if you fork them, they fall apart). When they’re done, mash them in a bowl and add the lemon, paprika, salt and pepper, crumbled feta, olive oil and parsley. Let it cool a bit before adding the lightly beaten eggs (half cooked eggs in your mash mix does not sound pleasant!). Once it is all stirred together, put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to harden a bit. Spoon into patties and give each a quick dunk into the flour, and then fry in a frypan that is on medium heat, with a dash of olive oil. You’ll be frying each side for about 3 minutes. This makes a decent amount, but you can freeze them if you want after you flour them.
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Arancini Winter time = risotto time, and risotto time = arancini for leftovers time. I find risotto actually pretty easy to make – here is my recipe for pumpkin risotto… and here is my recipe for mushroom risotto. And, nobody likes leftovers for dinner, soon the next night, you can make the leftover risotto into arancini. And lets face it, who doesn’t like risotto balls!
Ingredients • • • • •
Egg Breadcrumbs Cubes of cheddar Oil for deep frying Leftover risotto
Method Get a spoonful and mould it in the palm of your hand, kind of into a flat shape, then place a cube of cheddar in the middle, and then you can mould the edges of your ‘flat shape’ into a ball. Then, dip into the egg, and then the breadcrumbs, and then the egg again, and the breadcrumbs again (I always double crumb). Heat up a small saucepan of vegetable oil and deep fry them. They will take a while so make sure the oil is not too hot (you want a little piece of bread to sizzle when you put it in, but not sizzle furiously). I like to always then pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes afterward too. Serve with a nice big salad.
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Sweet Potato Pasties Ingredients • 1 mashed sweet potato (literally just peel it, chop it, microwave it and mash it with a smidge of butter) • Half a pack of frozen spinach (100g I think) • Some crumbled feta – about 40g • 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed • Milk for brushing • EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to put on the pan so it doesn’t stick Method Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Make sure the spinach has had all the liquid squeezed out of it. Combine the sweet potato, spinach and feta and mix until they’re a relatively smooth mixture. Cut the puff pastry into circles. I usually use an upside down wine glass (obviously make sure there is no wine in there!). Put a dollop of the mixture toward one side, and then fold in half and push down the edges of the pastie so you have a semi circle. Fold over the edges again so they don’t come undone during cooking. Place each of the pasties on a lightly oiled baking dish, and then brush with milk so they go a little golden, and put in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden.
Rosco’s Greek Salad Ingredients • • • • • •
1/2 cucumber 2 tomatoes 1/4 red onion Palmful of fetta cheese Balsamic vinegar Extra virgin olive oil
Method None really…. chop it all up and put it together, and drizzle with a teeny bit fo balsamic vinegar and a dash of EVOO.
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Rocket Salad Ingredients • • • • •
Rocket (about two handfuls) Handful walnuts Parmesan cheese Balsamic vinegar Extra virgin olive oil
Method Wash the rocket, and then drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar (not heaps, just enough to coat). Use your peeler to place shaved parmesan on top, and then add chopped walnuts.
Radish Salad Ingredients • • • •
Lettuce Radishes Feta Cheese Balsamic vinegar and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Method Not rocket science, but chop or tear apart the lettuce, add the radish, sliced, and then crumble feta cheese on top. Finish with a drizzle of each EVOO and balsamic.
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The Main Event
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Cannellini Bean and Kale Pasta Ingredients • • • • • • • •
1 tin cannellini beans 2 bunches of kale 6 button mushrooms 1 tin diced tomatoes Parsley, sage, oregano Extra virgin olive oil Verjuice (or some white wine) Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste
Method Boil the kettle and then place in a saucepan with the pasta and add salt. Chop the kale and mushrooms. Get a saucepan and drizzle with some olive oil until the pan is hot, and then add the mushrooms, and saute for a few moments. When you cook mushrooms you should always make sure the pan is hot, otherwise they’ll just lose all their liquid and go mushy. Add the kale and wilt for about 30 seconds, before adding the tin of tomatoes and herbs. Add cannellini beans, and then the cooked and drained pasta.
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Stuffed Capsicum Ingredients (per serve/person) • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 red capsicum 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked Handful of spinach 5 sundried tomatoes 40g feta 4 button mushrooms Bacon (if desired) 2 spring onions 40g grated cheddar Extra Virgin Olive Oil (just a dash) Salt and pepper to taste Dash of smoked paprika
Method Cut the capsicum in half, take out the seeds and steam until mostly cooked. You’ll know because the capsicum starts to lose it’s shape. Alternatively, microwave for four minutes. Chop the spring onions, mushrooms and sun-dried tomato (and bacon). Put in a medium frypan with a dash of olive oil, and season with the salt, pepper and paprika, until mostly cooked, about 3 minutes. Add the feta (crumbled), spinach (chopped) and the rice, and stir for another minute, until everything is mixed and warm. Spoon into the capsicum and then sprinkle the cheddar on top. Put under the grill for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
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Sweet Potato Frittata Ingredients • • • • • •
Two sprigs of Kale 1 sweet potato 2 eggs Sprinkling of feta cheese Cajun seasoning Olive oil
Method Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees celcius. Beat the eggs and put to the side. Chop up the sweet potato and cook (you could microwave it, steam it, or I roasted it because I had the time). If you roast it, add the cajun seasoning with a dash of olive oil while it cooks. If you microwave it, add the seasoning after. Set aside once it comes out, and I ate about half the sweet potato on its own because it tasted so good. Chop the kale and lightly fry in the saucepan, then add the sweet potato and the egg. Let it cook for about 1 minute, and then sprinkle the feta on top and place in the oven (obviously, at this point it is important to mention that you need an all metal frypan that can handle the oven). Cook until the top is cooked and starts to go golden brown.
Zuchinni Slice Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 zucchini grated 1 grated carrot ½ cup grated cheese ½ cup S.R Flour 2 eggs 2 TB olive oil Salt & pepper to taste
Method Combine all ingredients, mix together, place in oven dish and bake for 30 minutes or until browned.
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Simple and Quick Pasta Sauce If you hopped out to get take-away, I’d still beat you with this pasta. Ingredients • • • • • •
1 tin tomatoes (just the plain ones) 1 clove garlic Half an onion Salt and pepper to taste Basil Dash of olive oil…. About 1 tablespoon
Method Place the onions, garlic and olive oil in a fry pan and let it cook for a few moments at a medium heat. Add the tin of tomatoes, salt and pepper and chopped basil. Let it cook for about 1 minute and you’re done!
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The Perfect Pizza Ingredients • 500gm pizza bread mix (available from bread shops and some supermarkets) • 290ml water • 1 ½ t yeast (keep in the fridge when not in use) Method Combine all ingredients and lightly knead until combined. Place in a bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until risen to about twice the size. The best place to leave the bowl is in your car in the sun… strange but it works! Once risen take out and punch down, knead a little more (only a few minutes) and repeat the process. When you take out the bowl for the second time knead for a few minutes and start to make base. This should make two large or 4 medium pizza’s. You can always leave half of the base in the fridge for a few days (2 max) and use another night or freeze. Pizza Flavour Some say the key to a good pizza is to only use a maximum of three toppings. Sweet Potato, Feta & Chilli Microwave sweet potato for about 3 minutes, mash with a fork. Spread tomato paste and herbs, add sweet potato, crumbled feta and sprinkle chilli. Add a little mozzarella cheese. Or substitute sweet potato for zucchini or pumpkin. Eggplant & Ricotta Spread base with tomato paste and herbs. Add marinated eggplant and spoon small amounts of ricotta cheese (from the deli section not in the packet- should be firm). Add mozzarella cheese.
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Pumpkin Risotto Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •
3 cups Arborio rice 4 cups vegetable stock Half Butternut pumpkin Half onion Clove garlic 80 grams butter (plus a little olive oil to stop the butter burning) Half cup white wine Handful parsley Pepper Parmesan to taste
Method Add a little oil, chop and start roasting the pumpkin. Chop garlic and onion and add to frying pan sizzling with melted butter and oil. When onion is clear add rice and stir until rice is glossy turning clear. Add wine and stir in until almost evaporated. Add a little bit of stock at a time until evaporated. Always keep the rice ‘hungry’. So that the cooking process is not inhibited by the addition of the stock, use boiling water from the kettle to make it. Once all of the stock has been added the rice should be cooked and the pumpkin should be roasted. Mash the pumpkin roughly and add to the risotto mix. Also add the parsley, some cracked pepper and a handful of parmesan. Leftover risotto can be frozen and reheated in the microwave (approximately 3 minutes). You can also make aranchini (crumbed risotto balls) by using the leftover risotto and making into balls (with a small square of mozzarella cheese in the middle) and then crumbing and deep frying.
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All in One Pesto Pasta Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 cup dried pasta Three big tablespoons of pesto (I have been using a Rocket Pesto lately, brand Sapore Delicato) 1 tin of four bean mix (the medium size – about 250g, but does it really matter if you add more?) Handful walnuts Handful pine nuts Three stems of kale Half an avocado Handful of baby tomatoes Six button mushrooms About three tablespoons chopped parsley Olive oil Salt and Pepper Parmesan for sprinkling
Method Boil the kettle and get the pasta on the go with some salted water. Drain and rinse the tin of beans. Chop the baby tomatoes in half, and chop the avocado, kale, mushrooms, parsley and walnuts. Heat the frypan with the olive oil, and wait until it is pretty hot – this is my number one rule for cooking mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and parsley, and when they’re nearly done (about 1-2 minutes) turn down the heat and add the kale and tomatoes and lightly fry. Then, add the avocado, nuts and beans, and season with salt and pepper. By this time the pasta should be done, so drain it and add into the mix with everything else. Stir in the rocket pesto, and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
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Potato and Corn Fritters Ingredients • • • • • • •
3-4 medium sized potatoes 1 cup corn 1 cup peas 1 egg 1/2 cup wholemeal flour Salt and pepper Extra virgin olive oil
Method Peel and cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water. Mash them and then add the corn and peas (mine were frozen, nevermind about that). Once it has cooled sufficiently, add the egg and flour and mix well. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large frying pan and put in a good dollup of olive oil, and fry in batches. As you’re going, you can keep the other potatoes warm in the oven (turned to a low heat). I served mine with a rocket (arugula) salad, which is a common side in our house, with some roasted baby tomatoes.
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Potato Croquettes Ingredients • • • • • • •
3 potatoes 1 dollop butter Salt and pepper About 1 cup breadcrumbs 2 eggs About 50g cheddar cheese Vegetable or Canola oil for deep frying
Method Peel and chop the potatoes and add to a saucepan of boiling water, with a pinch of salt. Cook until a fork separates the potato and drain. Give it a few moments to cool, and for the liquid to evaporate a while. Add a dollop of butter and some salt and pepper, plus any other seasonings you fancy (paprika etc). Once it is lukewarm or at room temperature, you’re ready to get cracking. Get out two bowls and a plate – one each for the breadcrumbs and egg. Chop the cheddar into little squares. Mould spoonfuls of mash into a small patty shape, then put a square of cheese in, and then mould around it until you’ve got a round croquette with cheese in the centre. It should be about the size of a golf ball. Then, dip in the egg, then the breadcrumbs, then the egg again, and the breadcrumbs again. Put these on the plate, and when they’re all done, put them in the fridge for about 10 minutes, while you get everything else ready. Get your saucepan ready with the oil (the tip for deep frying is to put a bit of bread in the oil, and see how it cook – it should sizzle away, but not go brown straight away) to warm up, and preheat the oven to about 180 degrees. Deep fry each of the balls, and then place into the oven – this ensures the ones done at the start aren’t cold, and that all of them are cooked through with the melted cheese. These are nice served with chilli aioli, and I had mine with a salad of rocket, beetroot, walnuts, olive oil, dulse and nutritional yeast.
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Sweet Treats
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Date and Lemon Slice Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
1 lemon Handful of finely walnuts Handful of finely chopped dates 1 cup self raising flour 1/2 cup caster sugar 1 cup coconut 1 egg 200g butter, melted 1/2 cup icing sugar
Method Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and extends over the edges. Mix together the rind of the lemon, walnuts, dates, flour, caster sugar, coconut, butter and egg. The dough should be reasonably dry, but you can add a tablespoon or two of water if you think it needs it. Place in the baking tray, and using the back of a spoon smooth it out to the edges and make it flat. It should be about 2-3cm deep. Place it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to cool for a while. The edges of the greaseproof paper make it easier to take the slice out of the tray, but still be careful. Combine the juice of the lemon with the icing sugar. Add more icing sugar if the mix is too sloppy. Smooth over the cooled slice and place in the fridge, uncovered for about 15 minutes so the icing sets. Take out and slice.
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Raspberry and White Chocolate Friands Ingredients • • • • • • •
3 eggs – lightly beaten 120g almond meal 1/2 cup self raising flour 150g butter – melted 100g raspberries (frozen is fine) chopped 100g white chocolate chopped 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
Method Preheat oven to 180 degrees and layout your cups on a baking tray, or grease a mini loaf tray. Place all the ingredients together and mix together until combined and then spoon evenly amongst the little cups. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Dust with icing sugar.
Chia and Orange Muffins Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 cup flour 2 teaspoons of baking soda 1/2 cup ground chia Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup frozen berries Zest and juice of one orange 3 tablespoons agave syrup (or honey) 3 eggs 1/4 cup milk 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and put out your muffin cups or grease a muffin tin. I seriously then just dumped everything into the bowl, muxed it up and then put it in the oven. It baked for just under 20 minutes, and I placed a skewer in the middle to triple check they were cooked (if it comes back with no bits of cake on it then whatever cake etc you’re cooking, is cooked). This made nine big texas size muffins, or it would make about 12 normal sized muffins. If your muffins were smaller, it might take less time to cook.
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Fudge and Chocolate Brownies Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
1/2 cup self raising flour 3/4 cup plain flour Handful of chopped walnuts Handful of chopped macadamia nuts Handful of white choc dots 200g milk cooking chocolate 2 beaten eggs (at room temperature) 100g butter 2 Tablespoons honey
Method Place the self raising and plain flour, walnuts, macadamia nuts and white choc dots in a bowl. Meanwhile melt the milk chocolate and the butter together. I used a small saucepan on a low heat (and occasionally took it off the heat), stirring constantly. Give it a few moments to cool a bit before adding the honey and eggs and stirring until mixed. Then add to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed (if you mix too much it may make your mixture a bit tough) and then pop in the fridge for about 20 minutes (which will make it easier to shape later). Shape the mix into golf sized balls and place onto a lined baking tray and in the oven for about 15 minutes on 180 degrees. When they come out of the oven they may still be a bit soft which is fine because they’ll harden on cooling.
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Choc Chip and Macadamia Cookies Ingredients • • • • • • • •
150g butter (unsalted) ¼C soft brown sugar 1/3C caster sugar 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 ½ cups self raising flour 1 cup choc bits (chopped/ broken into reasonable size) 1/3C macadamia nuts
Method Preheat oven to 180 degrees and give the trays a light spray of oil.Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugars and yolk until light and creamy. Add essence until combined. Add flour, choc bits and macadamia nuts and stir with a spoon until combined. Roll into balls (no need to flatten) and place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
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Healthier Berry Muffins Ingredients • 1 cup mixed frozen berries (frozen berries retain their shape better when baking) • 3 tablespoons honey • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 2 cups of wholemeal self-raising flour • 200g Greek mixed berry yoghurt • Half cup of milk
Method Preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius. Lightly spray a 12hole muffin tray or put out paper cases. Melt the honey in a saucepan with the berries for just a touch (otherwise it will be a bit harder to stir), and then, as per usual with my cooking, mix everything together in a mixing bowl. Spoon the mixture evenly among the trays, and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
N.B. If it is not sweet enough, perhaps experiment with adding some grated apple (and let me know how it turns out) or add another tablespoon of honey.
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