Food for my freezer and other favourites

Thanks to my family, friends, cookbooks, 

and SFI Magazines for all the recipes I love so much… 

  

Compiled by Belinda Orth 2007 

(updated April 2009)

My thoughts on OAMC

Here are some of my tips (in no particular order). I'm no expert, and each time we do it we think of ways it could work better. Hopefully this might help with your own OAMC endeavours... Last time we cooked I invested in some recipe / menu planning software called Cook'n. You can read about it at http://www.dvo.com/. The website sells the product for about $40US but i found a cheaper site and Cook'n matched it. They sent me a link for a trial version http://www.dvo.com/cookn.exe and then i went to their website to purchase the activation code for $19.95US. The software allows you to put in all your recipes, create menus (for weeks, months, multiple months). It also allows you to change the qty if you're having guests, large families. Then you can generate and shopping list. It has taken me a long time to put in my recipes (and a few extra steps to change to metric), but the next time we cook, it will all be in there. I can choose my meals, multiply them but the number of us cooking, and it will print out a shopping list. This is something to look forward to... though you've probably never had the joy of writing a shopping list for 90 meals x 4 people cooking (not fun!). If cooking with others, agree on menu list. If everyone makes the same, it is a lot easier to split finished meals and costs. Cooking with similar sized families also makes splitting easier. Or package differently ie. 1 lg lasagne = 2 sm lasagne. There are a couple of ways (probably more) to plan your meals. What meals do I want to eat, or what meat can I get on special and what can I make from it ie. if I buy a side of beef, how much steak, mince, sausages, roasts would I get from it. Same with lamb or pork. We usually buy individual cuts of lamb & pork as we don’t want so many chops of these, but if you like it, it may be a cheaper way to go. Find a good butcher, who is flexible, gives you good prices and guarantees the quality of the meat. My butcher is not the cheapest (perhaps 50c kg more for a side of beef). But he cuts it up however I want, the first order he even packaged it up for me ie. 21 bags of 500g mince. But he learned quickly that this was HUGE work for him. Our next order I said we'd pack it if you could give us better prices. He also freezes some of the meat if we want him to as he has big freezers, and it eases the burden on our freezer to freeze a lot at once. Also, I sometimes pick up meat over a few days. I may pick up all the meat one day that I’m going to marinate or pack raw and freeze. The next day I will go get the meat I’m going to cook into meals. This has helped with fridge space when I bring the meat home. I give him a table with my order for each type of meat, and have columns for which day i will collect it. Has worked well and he likes it too. Make a list of what meals you put in your freezer to keep track and mark them off as you use them. I do up a table of the meals, what dry ingredients I have purchased in my cupboard, what extra I need to buy, and any special cooking instructions. I use this list to plan my weekly menus. Sometimes it's hard to choose! I usually take 2 or 3 days worth of meals out of the freezer at one time so they can defrost (some meals take longer if they are bigger ie. roasts). Only make one meal of new recipes in case you don’t like it! (We usually have a few dud meals, but at least there’s only 1 of them and I don’t make them next time). I love trying new recipes, but sometimes the kids or DH don't like them - they let me know! See your local fruit & veg shop and ask for wholesale prices. We use a lot of onion, so we buy 20kg bags for $1 or less per kg. Look for specials over a few weeks leading up to your cooking day. I purchase marinades, pasta, sauces, taco shells - whatever is on special on our list that week. Freezers can only handle freezing so much at once. My poor chest freezer has struggled to get everything frozen and sometimes it has taken 2-3 days to freeze thoroughly. Fridge freezers wouldn't take this long. Perhaps better to cook over a few days to ease the load - frozen uncooked meat one day, cooked meals the next. I buy cheap packaging from a wholesaler who sells to shops/food outlets. I buy plastic bags, chinese type plastic containers and foil trays with lids. The bags are like fruit & veg bags to put things like cheese, vegies & meat in, and then I package all the small bags in a ziploc bag (these can be reused). For example, if I’m making tacos, I would have one bag of mince, one bag of grated cheese. I would pack the two bags in another bag which is labelled 'Tacos'. If making hamburgers, I may have a bag of patty mix, a bag of bacon, one of chopped onion which I pack all together (note: onion can get very smelly in the freezer so we’ll probably just cut that fresh next time). In the cupboard I would have tins of pineapple & beetroot for my hamburgers. Lasagne, shepherd’s pie (we add potato & cheese later), enchiladas are made in foil trays. I’ve been thinking I may try to buy reusable containers for next time, but they do take up more room, will cost more in the short term, but are not so wasteful.

There are a couple of websites I looked at when I was starting doing OAMC. You may find them interesting. I'm sure there's plenty more to check out. Just test the recipes as sometimes, particularly American recipes are different types of food to what we would normally eat, and some ingred is hard to get. http://www.frugalmom.net/once_a_month_cooking.htm http://www.frugal-moms.com/articles.php check out the different meat meal plans http://www.once-a-month-cookingworld.com/ There would also be OAMC or freezer books at the library. I have several older freezing books which I picked up at the Lifeline Bookfest. Another idea is you could get together with friends, plan 10 meals each, cook them in your own homes and then swap. So if there was 2 of you, you would have 20 meals, 4 of you would be 40 meals. If you cooked them over a few weeks, you could make extra when you cook the meal for your family and freeze it for your friends. Whatever you choose to do, whether it be as crazy as us, or a couple of meals in the freezer, just enjoy experimenting and a night off from cooking!

Where to find things…   OAMC PLANNING DOCUMENTS...................................................................................................................3‐6  SOUPERBS......................................................................................................................................................7‐8  Cauliflower & Bacon Soup .........................................................................................................................................7 Chicken Noodle Soup.................................................................................................................................................7 Pumpkin Soup............................................................................................................................................................7 Potato, Leek & Bacon Soup .......................................................................................................................................8 Quick Chicken & Sweet corn Soup ............................................................................................................................8 Sweet Corn Chowder.................................................................................................................................................8 Tomato & Basil Soup .................................................................................................................................................8 

 CHICKEN.......................................................................................................................................................9‐17  Cajun Chicken Kebabs with Mango Salsa ..................................................................................................................9 Chicken and Thai Basil Fried Rice ..............................................................................................................................9 Chicken Cashew Stir‐fry...........................................................................................................................................10 Chicken Chasseur.....................................................................................................................................................10 Chicken Kiev.............................................................................................................................................................10 Chicken Lasagne ......................................................................................................................................................10 Chicken Pizza ...........................................................................................................................................................11 Chicken Potato Bake................................................................................................................................................11 Chicken Tagliatelle...................................................................................................................................................11 Chicken, Pesto & Tomato Pasta...............................................................................................................................11 Creamy Spiced Chicken with Noodles .....................................................................................................................12 Crispy Chicken Strips ...............................................................................................................................................12 Kim's Oven Fried Chicken Strips ..............................................................................................................................12 Kim's Deep Fried Chicken Strips ..............................................................................................................................12 Enchiladas................................................................................................................................................................13 Fajitas.......................................................................................................................................................................13 Chicken & Vegetable Filo Parcels ............................................................................................................................13 Thai Green Curry with Beans...................................................................................................................................13 Hokkien Chicken Stir‐fry ..........................................................................................................................................14 Honey & Apricot Chicken with Coriander Cous Cous ..............................................................................................14 Honey Mustard Chicken Tenderloins ......................................................................................................................14 Honey Soy Kebabs ...................................................................................................................................................14 Nasi Goreng .............................................................................................................................................................14 Oprah Chicken .........................................................................................................................................................15 Orange Skewers with Noodle Salad ........................................................................................................................15 Jamie Oliver Herb Roast Chicken.............................................................................................................................15 Satay Chicken Skewers ............................................................................................................................................16 Shannon’s Chicken...................................................................................................................................................16 Spring Time Creamed Chicken  & Vegetable Quiche...............................................................................................16 Tandoori Chicken with Coconut & Coriander Rice ..................................................................................................16 Teriyaki Chicken for Sushi........................................................................................................................................17 Thai Claypot Chicken Curry......................................................................................................................................17  

2 (i)

BEEF...................................................................................................................................................................... 18‐21  American Meatloaf with Caramelised Onions.........................................................................................................18 BBQ Pack..................................................................................................................................................................18 Beef Lasagne............................................................................................................................................................18 Glazed Corned Beef .................................................................................................................................................19 Deluxe Steak Burgers...............................................................................................................................................19 Gourmet Hot Dogs...................................................................................................................................................19 Greek Pasta Bake.....................................................................................................................................................19 Meat Pies .................................................................................................................................................................20 Porcupine Meatballs................................................................................................................................................20 Rissoles ....................................................................................................................................................................20 Shish Kebabs............................................................................................................................................................20 Sweet Chilli Beef Stir‐fry ..........................................................................................................................................20 Tacos........................................................................................................................................................................21 Taco Seasoning Recipes...........................................................................................................................................21 Homemade Salsa .....................................................................................................................................................21 Thai Beef Salad ........................................................................................................................................................21  

BACON & PORK .................................................................................................................................................. 22‐24  BLATs .......................................................................................................................................................................22 Caesar Salad.............................................................................................................................................................22 Carbonara Pasta ......................................................................................................................................................22 Chinese BBQ Pork ....................................................................................................................................................22 Honey & Ginger Pork ...............................................................................................................................................23 Laurel’s Quiche Lorraine..........................................................................................................................................23 Malaysian Pork Stir‐fry ............................................................................................................................................23 Meat & Salad Stacks ................................................................................................................................................24 Pork Snitzels ............................................................................................................................................................24 Potato Salad.............................................................................................................................................................24 Zucchini Slice ...........................................................................................................................................................24  

LAMB...............................................................................................................................................................25  Butterfly BBQ Lamb .................................................................................................................................................25 Lamb and Rosemary Pies.........................................................................................................................................25  

VEGETARIAN..............................................................................................................................................26‐29  Antipasto Roll ..........................................................................................................................................................26 Bok Choy Parcels .....................................................................................................................................................26 Bruschetta ...............................................................................................................................................................26 Crepes......................................................................................................................................................................26 Mango Salsa.............................................................................................................................................................27 Mixed Dahl...............................................................................................................................................................27 Pesto.................................................................................................................................................................. 27‐28 

Basil, Parmesan & Cashew Pesto Basil Pesto Mint and Almond Pesto Spinach, Rocket and Macadamia Pesto Parsley, Roasted Pistachio and Chilli Pesto 

Pumpkin Salad .........................................................................................................................................................28 Rice Salad.................................................................................................................................................................28 Roasted Vegetable Quiche ......................................................................................................................................29 Smashed Potatoes ...................................................................................................................................................29 Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni ..................................................................................................................................29 

2 (ii)

SWEET THINGS .........................................................................................................................................30‐36  Archi’s Pancakes ......................................................................................................................................................30 Baked Jaffa Cheesecake...........................................................................................................................................30 Banana and Raspberry Bread ..................................................................................................................................31 Banana Delicious .....................................................................................................................................................31 Blueberry & Pecan Friends ......................................................................................................................................31 Chocolate Berry and Meringue Layers ....................................................................................................................31 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries...............................................................................................................................32 Chocolate Hazelnut Gateau.....................................................................................................................................32 Chocolate Hazelnut Self‐Saucing Pudding...............................................................................................................32 Chocolate Mousse ...................................................................................................................................................33 Pistachio Cherries ....................................................................................................................................................33 Creamed Rice Pudding.............................................................................................................................................33 Date Loaf .................................................................................................................................................................34 Easy Ice‐Cream ........................................................................................................................................................34 Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake.................................................................................................................................34 Lemon Meringue Pies ..............................................................................................................................................34 Mrs Field’s Cookies ..................................................................................................................................................35 Mum’s Lemonade Scones........................................................................................................................................35 Pear & White Chocolate Friands .............................................................................................................................35 Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding ..............................................................................................................................35 Sticky Date Roll ........................................................................................................................................................35 To Die For Blueberry Muffins ..................................................................................................................................36 20 Minute Chocolate Cake ......................................................................................................................................36  

SANDWICH FILLINGS ......................................................................................................................................37  “NOT BORING SANDWICHES AGAIN!”..........................................................................................................37  SICK OF BREAD ALTOGETHER?  TRY THESE…  ..............................................................................................38  DRINKS ............................................................................................................................................................38  Banana Punch Mint Punch Passionfruit Lime Crush Pine Lemon Lime Punch Pine Orange Punch Red Punch 

2 (iii)

3

This planning document is used to work out how many of each meal we are going to make, and what preparation/cooking is required. Cook means the meal is prepared up until the final baking or reheating. For example, lasagne and enchiladas are assembled and require baking to reheat and brown the cheese on top - the meat has been precooked. Lamb and Rosemary pies can be fully cooked so only need reheating. Freeze means that ingredients are frozen and will be cooked fresh on the day required. This is a great way to increase the number of meals without a lot more preparation/cooking time. Some of the meals frozen uncooked are suitable to cook and freeze (ie. spaghetti sauce, stroganoff), we do it this way as we already have a lot of meals to cook, and these can be quickly prepared on the day of eating. Prepare is similar to freeze, but these meals require other ingredients to be added. The meat has not been cooked and will be on the day of serving. Food item Beef Method # Meals Chicken Method # Meals Beef Lasagne Cook 4 Enchiladas Cook 3 Shepherds pie (just mince part) Cook 3 Thai curry Cook 2 Meatpies Cook 2 Oprah chicken Prepare 1 Tacos Freeze 2 Shannons chicken Prepare 1 Mince for Spaghetti Freeze 2 Chicken Chassuer Cook 1 Beef stroganoff Freeze 2 Apricot Chicken Freeze 1 BBQ pack Freeze 3 Filo parcels Cook 2 Burritos Freeze 1 Satays Freeze 2 Shish kebabs Freeze 1 Chicken stirfry Freeze 1 Ginger beef stirfry Freeze 1 Chicken pizza Freeze 2 Rissoles Prepare 1 Honey soy kebabs Freeze 2 Meatloaf Prepare 1 Chicken for doner kebabs Freeze 1 Corned beef Freeze 1 Chicken kiev Prepare 2 Sweet chilli beef stirfry Freeze 1 Chicken tagliatelle Prepare 3 Pepper stirfry Freeze 1 Chicken Lasagne Cook 2 Deluxe steak burgers Freeze 1 Jamie Oliver herb roast chicken Prepare 1 Beef in black bean sauce Freeze 1 Chicken potato bake Cook 1 Porcupine meatballs Prepare 1 hokkien chicken stirfry Freeze 1 Pork / Bacon Method # Meals chicken cashew stirfry Freeze 2 Quiche lorraine Cook 2 Teriyaki chicken for sushi Freeze 1 Zucchini slice Cook 3 Chicken rissoles Freeze 2 Chinese bbq pork Cook 3 Chicken & herb fritters Prepare 1 Pork fillet Freeze 3 1 Blats Freeze 2

Honey & apricot chicken with coriander cous cous

Freeze

Roast Freeze 1 1 Pork & bean stirfry Freeze 1

Chicken ravioli with tarragon sauce

Cook

Malaysian pork stirfry Freeze 1 1 Proscuito wrapped pork Prepare 1

Cajun chicken kebabs with mango salsa

Freeze

Honey & ginger pork Freeze 1 1 Asian spiced pork rissoles Prepare 1

Tandoori chicken with coconut & coriander rice

Freeze

Lamb Method # Meals Butterfly BBQ lamb Prepare 1 Lamb and rosemary pies Cook 2 Roast Freeze 1 Cutlets Freeze 1 Irish stew Cook 1 Minty lamb with crunchy potatoes

Freeze 1

Lamb skewers with lemon & garlic

Freeze 1

# meals for freezer 94

4

We plan which days we will make what meals mainly because we cook for around 3 months which is a lot of meals. You may be able to do it all in one day, depending on meal choice and quantity. In this example, meat was collected Friday afternoon from the butcher. Saturday was mainly freezing uncooked meats, which required marinading, stuffing, or combining with other ingredients (ie. rissoles, meatloaf). We froze the remainder of the meat into meal type portions and cooked them on other days. As there was 4 of us cooking, we divided up some of the meals which we cooked in our own homes and swapped the finished meals.

Saturday 17th Monday 19th Prepare Cook rissoles Enchiladas meatloaf Chicken Chasseur porcupine meatballs Filo parcels Oprah chicken Chinese bbq pork Shannons chicken Jamie Oliver herb roast chicken Proscuito wrapped pork Asian spiced pork rissoles Schnitzels Tuesday 20th Chicken kiev Cook Honey & apricot chicken Beef Lasagne Shepherds pie (just mince part) Marinate Meat pies Butterfly BBQ lamb BBQ pack Shish kebabs Satays Wednesday 21st Honey soy kebabs Cook/prepare Tandoori chicken Thai curry Teriyaki chicken for sushi Chicken Lasagne Chicken potato bake Freeze Chicken tagliatelle Tacos (mince, cheese) Chicken ravioli with tarragon sauce Spaghetti (mince) Chicken & herb fritters

BBQ Chicken Pizza Beef, chicken, pork for stroganoff, burritos, doner kebabs, stir-fry Corned beef Steak burgers (steak, bacon, onion) Pork fillet Thursday 22nd BLATs (bacon, panini) Cook Roasts Irish stew Chicken rissoles (bought prepared) Lamb and rosemary pies Cook Quiches Friday 23rd Zucchini slice Relax for 3 months!

5

This list makes it easy to plan weekly menus and shows at a glance how many of each meal, serving suggestions and what extra ingredients I have in the pantry of freezer to complete the meal. I’ve also included a column for cooking instructions, which we didn’t do last time, but would be helpful for new recipes or if you are cooking with friends who are not familiar with some of the recipes. Meals list February 2007 Food item Number of each meal

(cross off when eaten) Cooking

instructions Serving suggestions Foods purchased

(in pantry or freezer) Beef Beef lasagne 1 2 3 4 cook at 180C 45 mins salad, garlic bread garlic bread Beef stroganoff 1 2 rice, salad or veg, sour cream beef stroganoff packet mix Burritos 1 sour cream, cheese, lettuce, avocado burrito seasoning, salsa, tortillas Corned beef 1 mashed potato, vegies parsley sauce mix Deluxe steak burgers 1 buns, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, beetroot, cheese,

egg, bbq sauce pineapple, beetroot, bbq sauce

Ginger beef stir-fry 1 see recipe Meatloaf 1 vegies Meat pies 1 2 mashed potatoes, peas Mince for Spaghetti 1 2 parmesan cheese, salad parmesan cheese, jar spaghetti sauce,

spaghetti noodles Porcupine meatballs 1 salad tomato soup Rissoles 1 mashed potato, vegies gravy mix Shepherds pie 1 2 3 mashed potatoes, cheese, tomato sauce Shish kebabs 1 capsicum, red onion, salad Sweet chilli beef stir-fry 1 see recipe sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce Tacos 1 2 lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream taco kits Chicken Apricot chicken 1 rice, salad or vegies Cajun chicken kebabs with mango salsa

1 salsa: red onion, mango, lebanese cucumber, avocado, tomato, red chilli, sm squeeze orange juice

skewers

Chicken & herb fritters 1 salad Chicken cashew stir-fry 1 2 stir fry vegies, rice cashews Chicken chasseur 1 mashed potatoes, salad, crunchy bread Chicken for doner kebabs 1 sour cream, cheese, lettuce, avocado bbq sauce, tortillas Chicken kiev 1 2 salad, potato bake or crunchy bread Chicken lasagne 1 2 salad, garlic bread garlic bread Chicken pizza 1 2 salad/caesar garlic bread Chicken potato bake 1 2 salad Chicken ravioli with tarragon sauce

1 salad

Chicken rissoles 1 2 potatoes, chicken booster, cream, cheese, onion, salad, crunchy bread

Chicken stir-fry 1 stir fry vegies, rice Chicken tagliatelle 1 2 3 salad Creamy Thai chicken noodles 1 see recipe Enchiladas 1 2 3 salad, garlic bread garlic bread Filo parcels 1 2 salad filo pastry Hokkien chicken stir-fry 1 stir fry vegies, rice Honey & apricot chicken with coriander cous cous

1 salad cous cous, walnuts

6

Chicken cont. Honey mustard chicken tenderloins

1 2 salad or bbq vegies

Honey soy kebabs 1 2 salad, rice skewers Jamie Oliver herb roast chicken 1 roast vegies gravy mix Oprah chicken 1 potatoes, zucchini, carrots, cheese, white sauce 2 tins evaporated milk to make white sauce Satays 1 2 3 salad, rice jar satay sauce, skewers Shannons chicken 1 mushrooms, cream, potatoes etc Tandoori chicken with coconut & coriander rice

1 coriander rice, cucumber ratia (see recipe), salad coconut, basmati rice

Teriyaki chicken for sushi 1 rice, egg, cucumber, avocado, mayonnaise, carrot nori sheets, sushi vinegar, whole egg mayonnaise

Thai chicken curry 1 rice Pappadums Pork / bacon Asian spiced pork rissoles 1 stir fry vegies, rice BLATs 1 2 lettuce, avacado, cheese, tomato, sour cream, panini wedges Chinese bbq pork 1 2 3 stir vegies, soy sauce, kecap manis recipe ideas: stirfry, asian pork salad &

special fried rice Pork fillet 1 2 3 potato bake, vegies crumb mixture Honey & ginger pork 1 see recipe sesame oil, kecap manis Malaysian pork stir-fry 1 see recipe rice stick noodles, kecap manis Pork & bean stir-fry 1 see recipe fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, oyster sauce Proscuito wrapped pork 1 potato bake, vegies apple sauce Quiche Lorraine 1 2 salad Roast pork 1 pumpkin, potato, peas & corn, carrots, broccoli, cauli,

milk, cheese, gravy, apple sauce apple sauce

Zucchini slice 1 2 3 salad Lamb Butterfly BBQ lamb 1 salads Irish stew 1 salad Lamb and rosemary pies 1 2 vegies or salad Lamb cutlets 1 salad, crunchy bread or potato bake Lamb skewers with lemon & garlic 1 see recipe skewers Minty lamb with crunchy potatoes 1 see recipe mint jelly Roast lamb 1 pumpkin, potato, peas & corn, carrots, broccoli, cauli,

milk, cheese, gravy, mint sauce gravy mix

Total meals 94

7

SOUPERBS

Cauliflower & bacon soup

1 sm cauliflower 2 leeks (can substitute onions) 2 grated carrots 125g bacon 60gms butter 30g flour 1 1/2 lt chicken stock 300 ml milk 1/2 cup cream 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten (freeze whites until you want to make pavlova!) 1/2 tsp salt Pepper to taste Chop vegies into small pieces. Melt putter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Slowly add stock, stirring constantly to blend flour and butter mix, leaving no lumps. Add bacon and bring to the boil. Add chopped vegies and simmer fro 10 mins. (vegies can be pre cooked in microwave). Add salt, milk, pepper, beaten egg yolks, and cream. Simmer for 5 mins. Process soup in a blender until smooth (or push through a sieve if you don't have a blender). Freeze until required. Serve with fresh crusty bread or rolls. Note: approx 25g of powdered chicken stock makes 1 lt.

Chicken noodle soup 1 packet Chicken Noodle Soup mix Shredded chicken (or drop small balls of chicken mince into hot soup) Vegetables of choice – 1 use approx 1 grated potato 2 grated carrots 2 celery stalks, chopped (including tops) 1 chopped onion Pepper Add water to soup mix as per packet directions. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add shredded chicken (if adding chicken mince, simmer until cooked through). Add pepper to taste. Freeze until required.

Pumpkin soup 1 medium pumpkin, chopped 1onion, chopped 1 lg, tsp garlic 2 tsp chicken stock (more to taste) 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tbsp sugar 300ml cream (+ extra for serving) Pepper Place pumpkin, onion, garlic in a large saucepan and barely cover with water. Boil until soft. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add chicken stock, nutmeg, sugar and cream. Add pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle cream on top of the soup once in the bowls. Serve with fresh crusty bread. Freeze until required.

8

Potato, Leek & Bacon Soup Serves: 4 4 rashers rindless bacon, diced 2 tbsp olive oil 1 leek, trimmed, halved, thinly sliced 750g potatoes, peeled, chopped 1 lt chicken stock ¼ cup cream ¼ cup chopped chives Cook bacon in large saucepan over med-high heat for 5 mins or until crisp. Remove to plate lined with paper towels. Add oil and leek to saucepan. Cook, stirring, for 3 mins or until soft. Add potatoes. Toss to coat in leek mixture. Add stock to saucepan. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to med-low. Simmer, partially covered, for 20 mins or until potatoes are tender. Blend, in batches, to desired consistency. Return to saucepan. Add cream and ¾ bacon. Stir over low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining bacon and chives. Serve with parmesan toasts. Freezes well. Parmesan toasts

2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ Turkish bread, split lengthways 1 cup parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 200oC. Combine oil and garlic. Brush over both sides of bread. Cur bread crossways into 1.5cm thick fingers. Place cut side up, onto a large baking tray. Sprinkle with parmesan. Season. Bake for 12 mins or until golden and crisp.

Quick chicken & Sweetcorn Soup 2 cans creamed corn 2 cups cream 2 cups milk 1 packet of Continental Cream of Chicken Soup mix Chopped chicken (optional) Cracked pepper Whisk all ingredients together and microwave until thickened. Freeze until required. (Can use 4 cups cream instead of half milk half cream, but this does make the soup very rich. I find buying the Continental Cup a Soup 4 packet mix on sale is cheaper than the single serve and you get more in it.)

Sweet Corn Chowder Serves: 6 2 medium potatoes, cubed 1 cup water 1 tbsp oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 tbsp flour 2 cups milk 10g vegetable stock cube, crumbled 440g can corn kernels, drained 440g can creamed corn 1 tbsp chopped parsley Cook cubed potatoes in water until tender (or microwave on high). Reserve liquid. Heat oil in large saucepan. Stir-fry onion until soft (or microwave on high for 2 minutes). Add flour and stir over medium heat for 1 minute (or microwave on high for 1 minute). Gradually add milk, then potato and reserved potato liquid, stock cube, corn kernels and creamed corn. Stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens (or microwave on high for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally). Stir in parsley and serve hot with bread of choice. Freeze until required.

Tomato & Basil Soup Serves: 4-6 4 spring onions, chopped including tops 1 tsp butter 1kg fresh tomatoes, peeled OR 2 x 480g canned tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, crushed 3 cups chicken stock ½ - 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped freshly grated black better, to taste ½ tbsp sugar Sweat the spring onion in the butter over medium heat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic & stock. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, add basil, black pepper and sugar. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and return to saucepan. Bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Ladle soup into warm bowls, swirl with yoghurt or sprinkle with cheese and top with sprigs of fresh basil. Serve hot or cold. For a heartier meal, add walnut size balls of mince meat to soup during final simmering. Freeze until required.

9

CHICKEN

Cajun Chicken Kebabs with Mango Salsa Serves: 4 650 grams chicken mince 1 onion grated 1 egg 2 tablespoons mango chutney 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped 1 1/2 cups multi-grain bread crumbs 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning To serve 1 kilogram chat potatoes Cooking spray Salad leaves Mango salsa 2 large calypso mango 2 Lebanese cucumber, halved, deseeded, diced 1/2 small red onion finely diced 1/2 long red chilli deseeded, thinly sliced Combine mince, onion, egg, chutney, parsley, breadcrumbs and cajun seasoning and mix until well combined. Using 1/4 cup mix at a time, shape mixture into 12 x 8cm long sausage shapes. Thread onto skewers. Cover & refrigerate 1 hour, if time permits. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 230C. Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water over high heat. Cover and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, 12 - 15 mins or until just tender when tested with a skewer. Drain and allow to cool for 10 mins. Place potatoes in a greased roasting pan. Using the heel of your hand, flatten potatoes. Spray generously with olive oil cooking spray. Roast for 25 - 30 mins or until crisp. Preheat bbq grill on medium. Spray kebabs with oil. BBQ, turning often, for 20 mins or until cooked through. Mango salsa: Remove cheeks from mangoes and cut flesh into 1cm cubes. Combine mango, cucumber, onion & chilli in a bowl and toss gently to combine. Arrange salad leaves and kebabs on plates. Spoon over salsa. Serve with potatoes.

Tip: You can reduce the cooking time for the kebabs by placing raw kebabs in a single layer on a plate in the microwave. Microwave, 6 at a time, uncovered, on medium for 2 - 3 mins or until meat surface is warm (not hot) and firm to touch (they will not be cooked right through). They will now need about half the cooking time on the bbq to completely cook through. (Freeze chicken mix and shape and thread onto skewers once thawed - I found I needed to add more breadcrumbs as the mix was very moist and wouldn't hold shape. I also added avocado, tomato and juice of half an orange to the salsa. Sweet chilli sauce would be good too mixed through the salsa)

Chicken and Thai Basil Fried Rice ¼ cup peanut oil 1 medium brown onion chopped finely 3 cloves of garlic crushed 2 fresh green thai chillies, seeded and chopped finely 1 tablespoon brown sugar 500g chicken breast fillets chopped coarsely (or less if you want to) 2 medium red capsicum sliced thinly 200g green beans chopped coarsely 4 cups of cooked jasmine rice 2 tablespoons of fish sauce 2 tablespoons of soy sauce ½ cup of loosely packed fresh thai basil leaves (available from Woolies) Heat oil in wok, stir fry onion, garlic and chilli until onion softens. Add sugar, stir fry til dissolved. Add chicken, stir fry until lightly browned. Add capsicum and beans, stir fry until veggies are just tender and chicken is cooked through. Add rice and sauces, stir fry tossing gently to combine. Remove from heat add basil leaves, toss gently to combine. Freeze meat and make up fresh on day of eating, or freeze finished meal.

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Chicken cashew stir-fry 2 chicken breasts, sliced 200 grams cashew nuts Stir-fry veggies Jasmine rice Stir-fry sauces? - whatever you feel like! Oyster, Fish; Hoisin; Sweet chilli, Garlic, Ginger; Chilli; Sesame oil; Kecap manis; Lime juice; Brown sugar; Chilli. Freeze meat and make up fresh on day of serving.

Chicken Chasseur Serves: 4 1 1/2 kilograms chicken breasts 30 grams butter 2 tablespoons oils 250 grams small fresh mushrooms 1 clove garlic 1 cup white wine Salt & Pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon tarragon 2 large ripe tomatoes 6 shallots 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons tomato paste Sauce: 125 grams butter 1 large onion 1 large carrot 1/4 cup plain flour 3 cups water 3 chicken stock cubes Salt Pepper Cook chicken. Add mushrooms, garlic and sauté. Add wine and bring to boil. Boil uncovered for 3 mins or until liquid is reduced by half. Add brown sauce, sugar, tarragon and tomato paste. Blend tomatoes and add to sauce. Add S&P. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 45mins or until chicken is tender Sauce Heat butter. Add chopped onion & grated carrot. Sauté until brown in colour. Add flour and heat until dark brown. Add water and stir until combined & thickened. Reduce heat. Add stock cubes and S&P. Cover. Simmer gently for 1 hour. Serve with mashed potato, crusty bread & green salad

Chicken Kiev Serves: 4 4 chicken breasts 200g butter 2 tbsp crushed garlic 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 3 heaped spoons plain flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten with 100ml milk Fresh breadcrumbs (kebab bread is yummy!) 2 tablespoons olive oil & 2 tbsp butter Combine butter, garlic & parsley and mix well. Roll in gladwrap into log shape and freeze until very firm. Cut pocket in side of chicken and fill with slices of garlic butter. Coat if flour and shake off excess. Dip in egg & milk mix, then breadcrumbs. Repeat. Refrigerate until ready to cook. Heat oil and butter in pan and cook chicken until breadcrumbs are lightly browned and tender. Bake in preheated oven at 180oC until cooked through (approx 15 mins). Chicken Lasagne 2 cups chicken and 1 cup Italian sausage (or 3 cups chicken) 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 Tbs. butter 4 oz. can mushrooms, drained 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup milk 1/2 tsp. basil 1 1/2 cup cottage cheese 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 6 no boil lasagne noodles salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper (optional) Sauté chicken, sausage, onion, and green pepper until done with desired seasonings. Add mushrooms, soup, milk, and basil. Mix (and season, if desired) cheeses. In a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, layer 1/2 noodles, 1/2 cheese, and 1/2 meat with sauce. Repeat. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Chicken pizza 1 envelope (7 gms) quick rising yeast 1 cup lukewarm water 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp salt 2 to 2 ½ cups plain flour (white or wholemeal) Vegetable cooking spray or vegetable oil Filling BBQ sauce 3 cups cooked diced chicken 3 rashers bacon, diced 2 tomato, chopped 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese 1 cup grated parmesan cheese Sour cream to serve Other toppings of choice (browse the pizza flyers for inspiration!) In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in the water. Stir. Add the oil, salt, 2 cups flour, mix well. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 2 mins. Add additional flour, if needed. Put the dough into a large bowl coasted with vegetable cooking spray or lightly coasted with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 5 mins. Prepare the filling. Preheat the oven to 205OC. Coat 2 baking trays with cooking spray or oil and set aside. Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Roll and stretch 1 ball of dough into a 25cm round. Place it on the tray and set it aside while you roll out the second ball. Place it on the second tray. Top each crust with half the topping ingredients. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately. (They may be frozen unbaked.)

Chicken Potato Bake 750g (4 lg) potatoes ½ red capsicum, cut in 1 BBQ chicken or small pieces 2 chicken breasts, 2 shallots, thinly sliced cooked & shredded 1 cup corn kernels 1 cup grated cheese Paprika Sauce 1 tsp butter or margarine 1 tbsp plain flour 1 tsp garlic 1 chicken stock cube 1/3 cup lemon juice 2/3 cup water (I use approx ¼ cup as I 1 tsp mustard prefer a less lemony taste) 1 tbsp mayonnaise ½ cream Cook potatoes in the microwave, cool and then slice. Layer half the potatoes in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with chicken, shallots, capsicum and corn. Cover with remaining potato slices. Combine sauce ingredients (except for mayonnaise and mustard) in a microwave proof bowl, and microwave on high for 4 minutes (stirring after 2 mins) or until it thickens. Add the mayonnaise & mustard. Pour over potato dish. Sprinkle with cheese & paprika. (Freeze at this stage if desired) Bake in 180OC oven until cheese is golden. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

Chicken tagliatelle Serves 4 60g unsalted butter 425g chicken breasts, sliced thinly 90g blanched almonds 300ml double cream 250g fresh green ribbon noodles (I use dried fettuccine) Salt and pepper Basil leaves, to garnish Tomato sauce 1 small onion, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, chopped 425g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp dried oregano 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp tomato puree 1 tsp sugar To make the tomato sauce, fry the onion gently in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute further. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until reduced by half. Discard the bay leaves and keep the sauce warm. Melt the butter and fry the chicken and almonds gently in a pan for 5 – 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, boil the cream in a small pan for about 10 minutes, until reduced by almost half. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender. Drain the pasta and turn into a warmed serving dish. Spoon the tomato sauce over the pasta with the chicken mixture in the centre. Garnish with basil and serve.

Chicken, pesto & tomato pasta 2 tbsp oil 3 chicken breast fillets, fat trimmed, seasoned with salt & pepper 400g Casarecce pasta, cooked (penne or fettuccine is good too) 500g cherry tomatoes, halved 2/3 cup basil pesto 2/3 cup cream 60g shaved parmesan, to serve Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry chicken until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Cook tomatoes in remaining oil for 3 minutes or until tender. Thinly slice chicken. Add chicken, pesto, & cream to pasta and toss over low heat until well combined. Add tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan to serve. Freeze chicken and cook on day, or freeze cooked chicken & sauce and pasta separately, reheat when required. You can freeze leftovers, but the cream tends to separate and become a bit oily when reheated – but still tastes good.

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Creamy Spiced Chicken with Noodles 350g udon noodles (or other noodles of choice, like hokkien, soba or egg) 1 tbsp oil 500g chicken strips 1 red capsicum, seeded and sliced 4 green onions, sliced (or 1 med onion, sliced – if preferred) ¼ cup red curry paste (use green curry paste for a spicier dish) 300ml light sour cream 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice 100g snow peas, trimmed ½ cup roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves or fresh herb of your choice Plunge noodles into a bowl of boiling water for 1 min or until loosened. Drain well. Keep warm. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan. Sauté chicken for 3-4 mins or until cooked through. Add capsicum and onions. Cook for a further 1 minute. Add curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Blend in sour cream, sauce and juice. Bring to the boil. Simmer, stirring for 2 mins. Toss through remaining ingredients. Stand 1 min to heat through. Serve immediately with noodles (I like to mix the noodles through). Freeze meat and cook fresh on day.

Crispy chicken strips Homemade Shake and Bake - (from the Tightwad Gazette) 4 cups flour 4 cups ground crackers 4 tbsp salt 2 tbsp sugar 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder 3 tbsp paprika 1/4 cup vegetable oil Mix well and store indefinitely in the refrigerator in a covered container (use an old ice cream bucket or coffee can). You can change the spices according to what you like, ie. Italian seasonings, Cajun, Mexican, Asian, etc. To cook, dip meat in any liquid (egg, buttermilk, milk, salad dressing) then in the shake and bake. Put on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 for boneless chicken or fish strips, an hour for chicken pieces with bones (i.e., drums and thighs, as long as possible for bone-in breasts). These freeze very well. If frozen after cooking, they can be reheated in the microwave. They won’t be as crunchy, but still delicious. They could also be frozen without cooking and then baked after freezing.

Kim's Oven Fried Chicken Strips (from the Tightwad Gazette) Shake and Bake (homemade recipe on previous page) boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips buttermilk Soak cut up chicken in buttermilk for 15 minutes or longer (can be overnight if you like). Dip each strip into shake and bake, coating well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Freeze on a baking tray, then put into a ziploc bag when frozen. To serve, use directly from freezer. You can microwave these (not crispy but good) or reheat in an oven. Very convenient! Note: you can freeze these before cooking as long as you are using chicken that has not been frozen before.

Kim's Deep Fried Chicken Strips (from the Tightwad Gazette) This is not a low fat recipe! We do this one for special occasions. If you still want the taste and less fat (or want to stretch these farther), put them in a salad like the restaurants do! MMMM 500g boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips/pieces 1 cup of buttermilk 2 cups of flour 1 tablespoon salt 1 tsp pepper other seasonings of your choice oil for deep frying Soak chicken in buttermilk for 15 minutes or longer (use watered-down sour cream if you don't have buttermilk - just water down to buttermilk consistency). Mix together flour, salt pepper and seasonings of your choice (add red pepper for spicy ones) Dip soaked chicken in flour mixture, coating well. (To freeze, put on baking tray and place in freezer. When frozen, put into a ziploc bag.) Deep fry in hot oil until golden. Update from Kim: This recipe has become a favorite in our house. I now only do the fried chicken strips this way. It is far less messy and they come out great. The secret is to get the oil REALLY hot. We make extras for fried chicken salad, which is sliced up chicken strips on a bed of lettuces and tomatoes, topped with some insanity sauce.

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Enchiladas 600 grams diced chicken 1 package corn or wheat tortillas 1 bottle mild enchilada sauce 3 cups white sauce 1 cup grated cheese Brown chicken in a little oil. Make up white sauce (approx 3 cups) and add to chicken. Add half a bottle of enchilada sauce. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon filling into tortillas and roll up, place into baking dish. Spread remaining enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Freeze at this stage. Thaw and bake at 180C for 40 mins or until golden and heated through.

Fajitas adapted from the Online CookBook by Dawn Wise 5 tbsp oil 1/4 cup lime juice (I use a little less) 1/2 tsp cumin 1/8 tsp cayenne 500g chicken breast, cut into thin strips (or 500g steak, cut diagonally across the grain, into thin strips) 1 small red capsicum, cut into thin strips 1 small yellow capsicum, cut into thin strips 1 small green capsicum, cut into thin strips 1 onion, sliced thin or 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp pepper Flour tortillas Shredded cheese Sour cream Guacamole In a bowl, mix together 2 tbsp. oil, lime juice, cumin and cayenne. Add the meat and stir to coat. Place the meat with the marinade in a freezer bag. Slice all the peppers, onions and mince the garlic and place in a large freezer bag. Freeze both bags. To prepare, thaw the marinated meat and the vegetables. In a large frypan, heat 1 tbsp. oil until very hot. Add the meat, with the marinade and stir-fry over high heat until the meat is cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the frypan and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. oil to the frypan and heat until very hot. Add the peppers, onion and garlic and stir-fry till tender crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the meat to the frypan and heat through. Serve with warm tortillas and assorted extras.

Chicken & Vegetable Filo Parcels Serves: 8 2 chicken breasts, diced 1 kg carrots 1 kg frozen peas 1 kg zucchini 1 kg cabbage 1 large cauliflower 1 head broccoli 60 grams butter 3 tablespoons plain flour Salt Pepper 8 cups milk 250 grams cheese, grated 2 packets filo pastry Cook chicken. Cut vegies into small pieces and cook until tender. Melt butter, add flour and cook 1 min. Gradually add milk, whisking until no lumps. Stir until thickened. Add cheese, salt & pepper. Add chicken & vegetables. Freeze sauce mix. Defrost sauce and filo pastry. Make pastry parcels or triangles. Brush with a little melted butter and bake in moderate oven until golden. Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Thai Green curry with beans 400ml coconut cream 1-2 tablespoons green curry paste 400ml coconut milk 500g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes 150g green beans, trimmed and cut into short lengths 4 kaffir lime leaves 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar Place the coconut cream in a wok and stir in the curry paste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the oil separates from the coconut cream. Add the coconut milk, chicken pieces, green beans and kaffir lime leaves. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar, stirring until combined. (Freeze at this stage if desired) Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice and garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves, if desired.

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hokkien chicken stir-fry 2 chicken breasts, sliced 200 grams cashew nuts Stir-fry veggies 1 packet Hokkien noodles Stirfry sauces? – whatever you feel like! Oyster, Fish; Hoisin; Sweet chilli, Garlic, Ginger; Chilli; Sesame oil; Kecap manis; Lime juice; Brown sugar; Chilli. Freeze meat and make up fresh on day of serving.

Honey & Apricot Chicken with Coriander Cous Cous Serves: 4 4 chicken breasts 2/3 cup dried apricots 60 grams butter ¼ cup honey 1 tablespoon garlic Cooking spray Coriander cous cous: 1 cup couscous 1 ½ cups boiling water 1 small red onion finely chopped 1 lime, rind finely grated, juiced 1 Lebanese cucumber finely chopped 1/3 cup walnuts chopped ½ cup coriander Soak apricots in a bowl of boiling water for 5 mins. Drain and allow to cool. Using a sharp knife, make a deep cut along 1 side of chicken breast to form a large pocket (do not cut all way through). Place apricots, butter, honey and garlic in a food processor. Process until just smooth. Spoon apricot mixture into chicken pockets. Secure with 1 or 2 toothpicks. Season both sides chicken with salt & pepper. (Stuffed chicken breasts can be frozen at this stage) Make coriander couscous. Place couscous in large heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water. Cover & stand for 3 mins or until water is absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate grains. Add onion, lime rind, 2 tbsp lime juice, cucumber, walnuts & coriander. Season with salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Preheat bbq plate on medium heat. Spray both sides of chicken with oil bbq for 4 -5 mins each side or until cooked through. Remove toothpicks. Thickly slice and serve with couscous.

Honey mustard chicken tenderloins 600g chicken tenderloins, sinew removed 300ml cream 1 tbsp seeded mustard 2 tbsp honey Mix all together and freeze until required. Thaw and cook on a bbq plate until golden and cooked through.

Honey soy kebabs 500g chicken tenderloins ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon garlic Combine chicken and marinade in a ziploc bag and freeze until required. Thaw and thread tenderloins onto skewers. Cook on a bbq plate until cooked through.

Nasi Goreng Serves 4-6 5-8 long red chillies, seeded and chopped (sometimes I use mild chilli sauce instead) 2 tsp shrimp paste 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped Oil, for cooking 2 eggs, lightly beaten 350g chicken thigh fillets, cut into thin strips 200g peeled raw prawns, deveined 8 cups (1.5kg) cooked rice 1/3 cup kecap manis 1/3 cup soy sauce 2 small Lebanese cucumbers, finely chopped 1 large tomato, finely chopped Lime wedges, to serve Mix the chilli, shrimp paste and garlic in a food processor to make a paste. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok and swirl it around to coat the sides. Add the egg and push the egg up the side of the wok to from a large omelette. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat, or until the egg is set, then flip it over and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Remove from the wok and cool before slicing into strips. Reheat the wok, and add 1 tbsp of the oil and stir-fry the chicken and half the chilli paste over high heat until just cooked. Remove from the wok. Reheat the wok and add 1 tbsp of the oil and stir-fry the prawns and remaining chilli paste until the prawns are cooked. Remove from the wok. Reheat the wok, add 1 tbsp of the oil and the rice, and toss over medium heat for 4-5 mins or until the rice is heated through. Add the kecap manis and soy sauce, and toss until the rice is coasted in the sauces. Return the chicken and prawns to the wok, and toss until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large deep serving bowl and top with the omelette strips, cucumber and tomato. Serve with the lime wedges. Freeze meat and make up fresh on day of serving.

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Oprah Chicken Serves: 4 500 grams chicken breast, diced 200 grams natural yoghurt 1 cup plain flour 1/3 cup mixed herbs Vegetable to serve 2 cans evaporated milk Marinate chicken in yoghurt. Mix flour & herbs together. Toss chicken in flour. (Can be froze at this stage) Fry chicken in a little oil and butter. Make a white sauce with the evaporated milk and pour over cooked vegies.

Orange skewers with noodle salad Serves 4 1kg chicken tenderloins, chopped 1/3 cup olive oil ½ cup orange marmalade ¼ cup sweet chilli sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce Salad ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded ¼ red cabbage, shredded 1 red capsicum, cut into thin strips 1 carrot, peeled, grated 1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed 2 green onions, thinly sliced 100g Chang’s original fried noodles Soak 16 bamboo skewers in water for 30 mins. Drain. Thread chicken onto skewers. Place into ceramic dish. Combine 1 tbsp oil, 1/3 cup marmalade, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. Poor over skewers. Turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 30 mins. (To freeze, place chicken and marinade in a ziploc bag and thread onto skewers once thawed – saves the skewers poking holes in the bag) Make salad: Combine all ingredients, except noodles, in a bowl. Refrigerate. Combine remaining oil, marmalade, sweet chilli sauce, and salt & pepper in a screw top jar. Shake well to combine. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Cook skewers for 2-3 mins each side, or until golden & cooked through. Add noodles and dressing to salad. Toss. Serve salad topped with skewers.

Jamie Oliver Herb Roast Chicken Serves: 4 Jamie Oliver: “My Perfect Roast Chicken – I cook this every week and I always try to do something different with it. I’ve never actually seen anyone cook it like this but it’s very straightforward – it must be the best way to have roast chicken and it makes a real change. Basically what I do is carefully part the skin from the meat on the top of the chicken breast and stuff the gap with fresh, delicate herbs such as parsley, basil and marjoram. Then I tie it up and roast it with some olive oil and salt.” 1 whole chicken Salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 small handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, marjoram), picked & finely chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 lemon halved 4 bay leaves torn 2 sprigs fresh rosemary Preheat the oven and a roasting tray to 225°C/ 425°F/gas 7. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat it as dry as possible with kitchen paper. Some people remove the wishbone but I like to leave it in and make a wish. Rub the cavity with salt, then, being very careful, grab the skin at the tip of the chicken breasts, making sure that it doesn’t rip, and pull up gently. With your other hand gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast. It’s normally connected by a little bit of tissuey-type stuff, and you can either leave this attached in the middle and make two little tunnels either side or you can try to cut away the middle. Sprinkle a little salt down the gaps that you have made, and push in the chopped herbs. Drizzle in a little olive oil. I don’t always stuff the chicken but when I do I generally go with lemon, bay and rosemary, which I push into the cavity at this point. Pull the skin of the chicken breast forward so that none of the actual flesh is exposed, tuck the little winglets under, and tie up as firmly as possible. To me the perfect roast chicken has tender moist breast meat, crisp skin and, dare I say it, over-cooked thigh meat. So at this point, simply slash across each thigh about 3 or 4 times and rub in some of the leftover herbs, which allows the heat to penetrate directly into the thigh meat, enabling it to cook faster. With your hand, rub a little olive oil into the skin of the chicken and season very generously with salt and pepper. Remove the hot tray from the oven and add a little oil. Put the chicken, breast side down, on the bottom of the tray and put back into the oven. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then turn it over on to the other side, breast side down. Cook for another 5 minutes and then place the chicken on its bottom. Cook for 1 hour at 225°C/425°F/gas 7. Use any excess fat that drips off into the roasting tray to roast your potatoes, or cook the potatoes in the tray with your chicken. The skin should be really crispy and the herbs will flavour the flesh – this really must be the best roast chicken. Trust me – it’s not fiddly, it’s pukka.

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Satay chicken skewers 600g chicken tenderloins, sinew removed 1 bottle Taylors satay sauce Skewers Combine chicken and ½ bottle satay sauce in a Ziploc bag. Freeze remaining sauce in a separate bag (or can freeze in the bottle). Thaw and thread tenderloins onto skewers. Cook on a bbq plate until cooked through. Alternatively, cook chicken in frypan. Add remaining sauce, 300ml of cream and a handful of roasted cashew nuts. Serve over rice.

Shannon’s Chicken Serves: 4 4 chicken breasts 120 grams feta cheese 4 shallots 2 tablespoons chopped basil 2 tablespoons olive oil Combine cheese, shallots & basil in bowl and mix well. Cut pocket in side of chicken and fill with cheese mixture; secure with toothpicks. (Stuffed chicken breasts can be frozen at this stage) Heat oil in pan and cook chicken until lightly browned and tender. Serve with mushroom sauce and broccoli soufflé tomatoes. Mushroom sauce 30g butter ½ cup cream 100g baby mushrooms ½ tsp seeded mustard 2tbs dry white wine 2 tsps chopped fresh chives Heat butter in pan, add mushrooms, cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Stir in wine, cream and mustard, simmer, uncovered, uuntil slightly thickened. Stir in chives. Mushroom sauce is best made just before serving. Broccoli soufflé tomatoes 1 lge tomato 1 tbs plain flour 50g broccoli ½ cup milk 20g butter ½ tsp seeded mustard 1 shallot 1 egg separated Cut tomato in half, scoop out seeds. Put on oven tray. Cook broccoli & chop finely. Heat butter in pan, add shallot. Stir in flour, cook until bubbling. Add milk & mustard and stir until thickened. Cool slightly. Stir in broccoli & egg yolk. Beat egg white, fold in to broccoli. Spoon mixture into tomatoes. Bake in hot oven about 10 mins or until puffed & lightly browned.

Spring time creamed chicken & vegetable quiche

350g shortcrust pastry 30g butter 6 spring onions 125g leeks, shredded 125g button mushrooms 125g peas 175g grated cheddar cheese 175g cooked chicken breast, sliced thinly 3 eggs 1 egg yolk (I use 4 whole eggs) 150ml each milk and double cream, mixed (can substitute 300ml single cream) Salt and pepper Roll out the pastry and use to line a 25cm fluted, loose based flan tin. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the spring onions, leeks, mushrooms and peas over a low heat for 6 mins. Remove from the heat and cool. Sprinkle the base of the quiche with half of the cheese, then add the chicken and vegetables. Finish with the remaining cheese. Beat the eggs and egg yolk and the milk and cream mixture together and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven, for 35-40mins until the filling is set and golden brown. (Can be frozen once cooked. Alternatively freeze quiche ingredients and cook fresh when required.)

Tandoori chicken with coconut & coriander rice 8 chicken drumsticks ½ cup tandoori paste 1 1/3 cups greek yoghurt Cooking spray 1 lebanese cucumber ½ lemon juiced deseeded & finely chopped Pappadums to serve Coriander rice 1 cup basmati rice ½ cup desiccated coconut toasted ¼ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped Cut three 1cm deep, 2.5cm long slits into each drumstick. Combine tandoori paste and 2/3 cup yoghurt in a large ceramic dish. Add chicken and, using your fingers, rub marinade all over. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, if time permits. (Freeze marinated chicken until required.) Preheat oven to 220C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Spray a wire rack with oil and place over tray. Remove chicken from marinade. Place on rack. Roast for 25 – 30 mins or until juice run clear when thickest part is pierced with a skewer. Coconut & coriander rice: Cook rice following absorption method on packet. Stir in coconut & coriander. Place cucumber, 2 tsp lemon juice & 2/3 cup greek yoghurt in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve chicken with coconut and coriander rice, cucumber yoghurt & pappadums.

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Teriyaki chicken for sushi marinade from the Online CookBook by Dawn Wise 2 chicken breasts, sliced through the middle lengthways (to make 4 thin breast fillets) 1 cup of soy sauce ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tbsp vinegar 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp ginger Nori sheets Praise whole egg mayonnaise 1 sm Lebanese cucumber, seeds removed, sliced into thin strips 2 eggs, lightly beaten and cooked in a frypan (scrambled without the milk) 2 cups medium grain white rice, cooked Sushi vinegar (sprinkle a couple of tablespoons over cooked rice and mix through) Sushi mat Combine chicken and marinade and freeze until required. Thaw and drain marinade off chicken. Cook in a frypan over a medium heat until cooked through (carefully as marinade can burn quickly). Cool and slice into thin strips. Lay nori sheet on sushi mat and spread cooled rice about ½ cm thick, leaving a small strip at the edge of the nori sheet furtherest from yourself (so it can be rolled and stick to itself). Lay filling on top in the middle of the rice, top with a small amount of mayonnaise. Starting with the edge closest to yourself, roll nori sheet by picking up the mat edge and rolling over, until it rolls up. Moisten the edge of nori sheet (without rice) with a small amount of water to help it stick to itself. Repeat with remaining nori sheets and filling. Cut into 2 large pieces, or 7 small pieces. Check out sushi bars for more filling ideas, or make up your favourite. Sushi sandwiches can be made using bread with the crusts cut off, spread with filling and rolled up.

Thai Claypot Chicken Curry 2-3 chicken fillets 400ml can coconut cream 2 sm tins chopped tomatoes 1 large green capsicum, coarsely chopped (more if desired) 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2-3 tsp green Thai curry paste, or to taste (use red for a milder curry) 1-2 tsp garlic pepper to taste Fry onion in a little oil in wok. Add garlic. Add cut chicken, and fry until brown. Add tomatoes and capsicum. Add a little pepper. Add coconut milk, and curry paste. Simmer for approx 20 mins. Sauce can be thickened with a little cornflour if desired. Curry can be frozen at this stage. Serve with rice and pappadums.

Sushi Filling Ideas • Teri Chicken - Marinated teriyaki chicken breast,

lettuce & mayo • Kickin' Chicken - Crumbed chicken breast,

cucumber & sweet chili sauce • Chicken & Avo - Crumbed chicken breast,

avocado & mayo • Satay Chicken - Shredded chicken breast,

lettuce & satay sauce • Chicken Caesar - Crumbed chicken breast,

cucumber, lettuce, mustard & caesar dressing • Tuna - Tuna, onion, shallots & mayo • Tuna Deluxe - Tuna, onion, shallots, avocado &

mayo • California - Cucumber, avocado & seafood • Rainbow - Smoked salmon, avocado & mayo • Salmon - Fresh raw salmon, & mayo • Salmon De-Lite - Creamy cream cheese,

smoked salmon, lettuce & shallots • Tempura Prawn - Lightly battered prawns,

lettuce & mayo • Sweet Chili Calamari - Crumbed calamari rings,

cucumber & sweet chili sauce • Teriyaki Beef - Shredded, marinated beef,

lettuce & mayo • Roast Beef - Lean roast beef, lettuce & whole

grain mustard • Egg Salad - Creamy mashed egg & mayo • Avocado - Fresh avocado & mayo • Vege - Lettuce, capsicum & cucumber • Honey Soy Chicken - A delicious combination of

chicken and mouth-watering Honey Soy Sauce placed on a bed of fresh lettuce.

• Tuna Salad - Delicious Tuna mix with rice, onion, shallots & mayo on a bed of lettuce.

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BEEF

American Meatloaf with caramelised onions 2 med brown onions, chopped coarsely 2 large carrots, chopped coarsely 2 trimmed celery sticks, chopped coarsely 2 cloves garlic, quartered 2 cups dry breadcrumbs 1 tsp salt 1 tbs mustard powder 1.5kg mince 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbs mild chilli sauce ¼ cup bbq sauce 1 cup tomato sauce 40g butter 6 medium brown onions, sliced thinly, extra 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup cider vinegar Preheat oven to moderate. Blend or process onions, carrot, celery and garlic until chopped finely; place in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, salt, mustard powder, beef, eggs and half of each sauce; using hands, mix until just combined. (Uncooked meatloaf mix can be frozen flat in a ziploc bag and shaped once thawed. Divide remaining combined sauces between two small ziploc bags and tape to each meatloaf mix bag. You could freeze the uncooked sliced onions separately, however wrap in several bags to cut down on the smell through the freezer. Alternatively, cook the onions before freezing.) Divide mixture in half; place each half on lightly oiled Swiss roll pans, form each half into a 10cm x 30cm loaf shape. Brush top of each meatloaf with half of the remaining combined sauces. Bake in moderate oven, uncovered, burshing meatloaf tops occasionally with remaining combined sauces, about 1 hour or until cooked through. (Can be frozen, individually covered, at this stage.) Meanwhile, melt butter in large heavy-base saucepan; cook extra onion, stirring, about 10 minutes or until onion is soft and browned lightly. Stir in sugar and vinegar; cook, stirring, about 15 mins or until onion is caramelised. (Can be frozen as is or in portions, covered, at this stage.)

BBQ pack Freeze a selection of meats below to your liking and appetites, in separate bags, then in a bag all together. Thaw and bbq when required. Steaks Honey mustard chicken (recipe in chicken section) Sausages (freeze on a baking tray then place in a bag so you can take out the no. of sausages you want) Beef rissoles

Beef Lasagne

700g beef mince 1 jar Rageletto Romano Cheese pasta sauce + enough hot water to rise out jar 1 lg heaped tomato paste 1 teaspoon garlic Salt & Pepper ½ cup grated cheddar cheese ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Béchamel Sauce 1 tbsp butter melted 3 dstsps flour 2 ¾ cups Milk Brown mince. Add pasta sauce, hot water, tomato paste, garlic and salt and pepper. Simmer whilst making béchamel sauce. To make béchamel sauce, melt butter. Add flour and stir for 1-2 mins to cook flour. Take off heat and add warmed milk. Mix until no lumps. Return to heat and stir constantly until sauce thickens and comes to the boil. Add salt and pepper.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Lay lasagne sheets on the bottom of the dish. Top with ½ the mince mixture. Add more lasagne sheets. Spread over remaining mince, top with more pasta. Pour béchamel sauce over the top with grated cheddar and parmesan cheese.

(If you want to freeze the unbaked lasagne, let it cool before topping with cheese. Wrap dish in glad wrap and freeze until required. Defrost and bake as follows.)

Bake at 170C for 45 mins or until cheese is golden and pasta is cooked through (test with a fork).

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Beef Steaks with roasted capsicums 2 small beef fillet steaks 2 tbs seeded mustard 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 tbs balsamic vinegar 2 cloves crushed garlic 1 red capsicum 1 green capsicum 1 yellow capsicum 1 tsp olive oil 1 tbs balsamic vinegar ½ tsp dried crushed chilli 1 clove crushed garlic 1 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme Combine beef with mustard, sauce, vinegar, and garlic in large bowl. Cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Cook steaks on heated oiled grill until browned both sides and cooked as desired. Add roasted capsicums to grill and cook until hot. Serve steaks with roasted capsicums. Roasted capsicums: Quarter capsicums, remove and discard seeds and membranes. Roast under grill or very hot oven, skin side up, until skin blisters and blackens. Cover capsicums with plastic for 5 minutes, peel away skin and discard. Combine hot capsicums in medium bowl with oil, vinegar, chilli, garlic and herbs. Freeze meat and make up on day of eating.

Glazed corned beef 2.5 - 3kg corned beef (I usually use around 2kg) 4 cloves 2 bay leaves 1 large onion sliced 3 strips orange peel 2 cups water Glaze 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I prefer seeded) 1/2 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons honey Place bay leaves, onion, orange peel, cloves and water in the slow cooker and mix well. Add corned beef with the fat side up. Cover and cook on 1 (Low) for 10-12 hours, or on 2 (High) for 5-6 hours or until tender. Remove meat from the broth. Score (cut) the top of the corned beef in criss-cross diamond or triangle shapes. Insert extra cloves into the centre of each diamond if desired. (I've never done the cutting or extra cloves - shows how well I read the recipe!) Place corned beef in a baking dish. Mix glaze ingredients together until smooth and blended. Spoon glaze over the corned beef. Bake at 200 C for 20-30 mins, basting occasionally with glaze. Serve hot or cold. Freeze meat and cook on day required.

deluxe steak burgers 4 hamburger buns 1 can pineapple slices 4 beef rib fillet steaks 1 can beetroot 4 rashers bacon Potato wedges 1 onion, sliced in rings Sauces 4 slices cheese Sour cream 4 eggs Freeze in separate bags, buns, steaks, bacon, and sliced onion. Put all small bags and potato wedges into one large bag ziploc bag. Cook on bbq and add toppings to buns. Bake wedges in the oven and serve with sour cream and sauces.

Gourmet hot dogs 4 hotdog buns 4 hotdog frankfurts, or flavoured sausages 2 rashers bacon, diced 1 onion, sliced in rings 1 cup grated cheese Sauces, mustard 1 bag Oven bake chips Freeze in separate bags, buns, frankfurts, bacon, onion and cheese. Put all small bags and chips into one large bag ziploc bag. Cook sausages, bacon and onion. Fill hotdog buns and top with cheese and mustard and sauces. Bake chips in the oven and serve with sauces.

Greek pasta bake 1 tbsp oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 500g beef mince 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 500g packet macaroni, cooked, drained 2 cups grated tasty cheese 125g butter ¾ cup flour 3 ½ cups milk 4 eggs, lightly beaten Heat oil in a large frying pan. Sauté onion and garlic for 3 to 4 mins or until tender. Add mince. Brown over high heat, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. Add tomatoes. Simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Place half of the macaroni into a greased 24cm square baking tin. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Spoon mince over cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and a little more cheese. Melt butter in a saucepan. Blend in flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Gradually blend in milk. Return to heat. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat. Simmer for 3 mins. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and seasonings. Pour sauce over macaroni, sprinkle with remaining cheese. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Bake in a moderate oven for 40 – 45 mins or until topping is set and golden.

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Meat pies 1 kilogram casserole beef 2 onions, diced 1 package gravy mix 2 bay leaves Salt Pepper 2 sheets puff pastry 2 sheets shortcrust pastry 1 egg, lightly beaten Milk Brown meat and make up enough gravy to just cover the meat. Bake in a moderate oven for 3 hours, or until beef is tender (could also do this in a slow cooker). Spray pie dishes with cooking spray, and line base with shortcrust pastry. Add cooled pie filling and brush eges of pastry with egg and milk mix. Top with puff pastry and press down edges to seal. Brush with egg mix, and bake in moderate oven until golden. Can be frozen before or after final cooking. (Try different flavour pie fillings, ie. beef stroganoff, beef & mushroom, beef & bacon. The pies can also be made in individual sizes. Cook and freeze, then reheat in the oven for crispy pastry, or the microwave if time is short.) Serve with mashed potato and vegies or salad.

Porcupine Meatballs Serves: 4 500 grams beef mince 420 grams can concentrated tomato soup 1 onion, grated 1/2 cup long grain rice, rinsed 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped Mashed potato to serve Place soup and 1 3/4 cups cold water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, combine mince, onion, rice, garlic & parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into 1 tbsp balls. Place on a baking tray and freeze then transfer to a ziploc bag. Add meatballs to boiling soup. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40 mins or until rice is tender and meatballs cooked through. Serve with mashed potato and steamed vegetables. Tip: You could use chicken mince instead of beef.

rissoles 1kg beef mince 2 onions, diced 2 eggs 4 tbsps mixed herbs 2 cups breadcrumbs 2/3 cup tomato sauce 2/3 cup barbecue sauce ½ cup Worcestershire sauce Gravy Mix all ingredients together and shape into rissoles. Cook in a frypan until browned, add gravy to cover rissoles, and simmer until rissoles are cooked through. Serve with mashed potato and steamed vegies. (Rissoles can also be frozen uncooked on baking tray, and then put into a ziploc bag. Alternatively, freeze mix flat and shape after defrosting. Can also cook these on the bbq.)

Shish kebabs 500 grams diced beef 1 jar SPC Plum Sauce Vegetables of choice, onion, capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms, pineapple Skewers Place diced beef and plum sauce in a ziploc bag and freeze until required. Defrost and thread meat on skewers with vegetables. Cook on bbq plate until cooked through.

sweet chilli beef stir-fry 500 grams beef stirfry 4 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons ginger 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 1 teaspoon ground ground black pepper 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 bunchs bok choy ½ head broccoli Brown beef in a little oil. Add garlic and ginger. Add vegetables and stirfry until tender. Add sweet chilli sauce, pepper, lime juice and fish sauce. Serve with rice. Add other vegetables if desired. Freeze meat and make up on day required.

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Tacos 500g beef mince 1 packet taco seasoning mix 1 package taco shells 1 jar salsa 2 cups grated cheese Sour cream Lettuce Tomato Brown mince and add season mix as per packet directions. Serve with warmed taco shells and toppings. (Mince can be frozen uncooked or after cooked with seasonings, and reheated in the microwave.)

taco seasoning recipes These two recipes have come from SS I’ve tried the first recipe and liked it. I added a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to make it more ‘saucy’. Taco Seasoning Mix …(SW/1- Christina –May 12) 2 tsp ground chilli powder 1 tbl ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp sugar 1 tbl onion powder 1 tbl garlic powder 1 tsp dry oregano 1/2 tsp salt Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in a small jar. Three tablespoons of mixture equals one packet of commercial taco seasoning.

Taco Seasoning Mix … (SW/3 - Luci Buckley (NSW) – Jun 26) These are American cups, just make them not quite full metric ones!

2 tsp onion Instant minced 1 tsp salt ½ tsp cornstarch ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp cumin, ground 1 tsp chilli powder ½ tsp paprika ¼ tsp oregano dried Place all in centre of a 15cm square of foil. Fold into packet. Store in dry place. To make Taco Meat: Brown ½ kg minced meat. Drain. Add ½ cup water, seasoning pkt. Simmer 10 minutes. Fills 8 - 10 tacos.

Homemade Salsa 12 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped 6 green capsicum, diced 6 chillis, diced (keep seeds from 2 only) 3 white onions, diced 1 ½ cups white vinegar 1 tbsp pepper 3 tbsp salt ½ cup sugar ½ tsp garlic powder ½ cup minced dried onion Cook tomatoes until foam had disappeared. Add all other ingredients. Cook on med-high for 2 hours stirring every 10 minutes. Pour hot salsa into hot, sterilised jars ¼” from top. Seal. Makes approx 7lt. Notes: Red chillis are hotter than the green ones - use a combination 4 green, 2 red for a mild salsa. You can sterilise the jars in a dishwasher – set the cycle to finish just before you fill the jars so they are still hot. When you place the lid on the jars, the top should be sucked in once the air has dispelled. If the lid can be pressed down, the jar has not sealed properly, and should be resterilised and filled, or used within a few days. Properly sealed jars can be stored for up to 12 months.

Thai Beef Salad Serves 4 400g lean beef fillets 75 g mixed salad leaves ½ sm red onion, thinly sliced 100g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 sm Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced 1/3 c chopped fresh coriander leaves 1/3 c chopped fresh mint Dressing 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp soft brown sugar 1 sm fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped Season the beef well on both sides with salt & ground black pepper. (Don’t use too much pepper as it increases the ‘heat’ of the salad. Spray a char grill or hotplate with oil spray, & when very hot, sear the beef fillets on each side for 3 – 4 mins. Remove & leave to rest for 10 mins before slicing thinly. The meet should still be quite pink in the middle. While the meat is resting, combined the dressing ingredients with 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Plan the mixed salad leaves on a large platter, top with beef slices & pour the warm dressing on top (can use cold dressing). Serve immediately. Salad ingredients & dressing can be prepared the day before. Assemble and add the dressing at the last minute as the salad leaves go soggy quickly. (I freeze the uncooked steaks and make recipe up fresh on the day of serving)

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BACON & PORK

BLATs Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato Sandwiches 8 rashes bacon 4 Panini Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado Caesar dressing or homemade mayo 1 bag wedges Freeze bacon and Panini. When required, cook bacon until crispy. Toast Panini under the grill, butter and add bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, dressing or mayo. Serve with potato wedges.

Caesar salad  1 Cos lettuce 6 rashers bacon (leave fat and rind on) 6 eggs, cooked 250g wedge parmesan cheese 8 slices bread Mixed herbs Wash and chop cos. Place bacon on ungreased baking tray and cook in moderate oven until crisp. Remove from tray and place on paper towel to soak up excess fat. Break into pieces once cool. To make croutons, remove crusts from bread and cut into cubes (or star shapes). Toss on the bacon tray containing the fat. Add more oil if necessary to coat. Sprinkle with mixed herbs. Bake until golden and crisp. Cool. Layer cos, bacon and freshly shaved parmesan on a platter. Top with croutons and quartered eggs. Drizzle with Caesar dressing. Add sliced cooked chicken for a heartier meal. Caesar dressing 3 egg yolks 1 clove garlic, chopped 3 anchovy fillets 2 tbsp grated parmesan 200 mls olive oil 1 teaspoon dijon mustard juice of ½ a lemon Blend the egg yolks, garlic, anchovy fillets, mustard and grated parmesan until smooth. Slowly drizzle the oil in. Stir in lemon juice and S&P. It goes very thick so add a little water if desired.

Carbonara pasta 400g dried spaghetti 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 6 rashers bacon, chopped 6 green onions, thinly sliced 375ml can evaporated milk 3 eggs 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 2 tbsp chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and bacon and cook for 4 mins until light golden. Add green onions and cook 1 min. Whisk evaporated milk and eggs together in a jug until well combined. Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Add milk and egg mixture and toss over low heat for 1 min. Transfer to a large bowl. Add bacon mixture, parmesan and parsley. Season with salt & pepper. Toss until well combined. Serve immediately. (Freeze bacon until required and make up pasta dish fresh.)

Chinese bbq pork 1 pork fillet 1 clove garlic ¼ cup soy sauce ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon honey 1 chopped shallot 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons red food colouring Combine all ingredients. Add pork. Marinate overnight. Cook @ 180 for 30mins turn & baste frequently. Cut fillet in half and freeze in ziploc bag until required. Thaw and cut thinly. Use in stir-fry’s, fried rice, or asian salads.

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Creamy pasta with roast vegetables 125g bacon, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges 700g butternut pumpkin, cut into 1.5cm cubes 1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm cubes 1 yellow capsicum, cut into 2cm cubes 250g cherry tomatoes, halved olive oil cooking spray 400g fettuccine pasta 3 tsp cornflour 1 cup evaporated milk ½ cup salt-reduced chicken stock ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped Preheat oven to 220OC. Line a large roasting pan with baking paper. Place bacon, garlic, onion, pumpkin, capsicum and tomatoes into roasting pan. Spray with oil. Toss gently to coat. Roast for 30 mins or until vegetables are tender. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, or until tender. Blend cornflour and 1tbsp of milk to a smooth paste. Add remaining milk, stock, and salt & pepper. Drain pasta. Set aside. Return saucepan to stovetop over medium heat. Add milk to mixture. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until sauce just comes to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Add pasta, bacon, vegetables and parsley. Toss until well combined and heated through. Season with pepper.

Honey & ginger pork 2 tbsp honey 3 cms piece fresh ginger peeled, finely grated 1 tsp sesame oil 1/4 cup kecap manis 500 grams pork fillet trimmed, thinly sliced 1/4 cup peanut oil 3 green onions sliced diagonally 1 red capsicum cut into thin strips 1 bunch broccolini cut into 6cm pieces 500 grams fresh rice noodles to serve Combine honey, ginger, sesame oil and kecap manis in a bowl. Add prok. Stir to coat. Cover. Refrigerate 30 mins if time permits. (Freeze pork at this stage until required.) Heat wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp peanut oil. Swirl to coat. Drain and reserve marinade from pork. Add half the pork to wok. Stir-fry for 2 mins or until sealed. Transfer to a plate. Repeat using 1 tbsp oil and remaining pork. Add remaining oil, onions, capsicum, broccolini and reserved marinade to wok. Stir-fry for 2 mins. Return pork to wok. Stir-fry for 1 min. Serve with noodles.

Laurel’s Quiche Lorraine 1 sheet pastry (puff or shortcrust) 4 eggs 300ml cream ½ cup milk 4 rashers of bacon, diced 1 onion, diced 1 cup grated cheese Pinch raw sugar Salt & pepper to taste Pinch cayenne pepper Sprinkle of nutmeg Preheat oven to 180C. Line greased quiche dish with pastry. Fry bacon and onion. Spread over pastry. Top with cheese. Beat eggs, cream, milk, salt & pepper, cayenne pepper and sugar. Pour into dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 45 mins or until golden and set. This recipe is great as mini quiches, and it freezes well.

Malaysian pork stirfry 250 grams dried rice noodles 2 tbsp peanut oil 500 grams pork stirfry 2 large onions cut into wedges 2 long red chillies, deseeded, thinly sliced 1 bunch baby bok choy leaves separated 1 lime, juiced 2 tbsp kecap manis 1 tbsp white sugar Lime wedges, to serve Cook noodles following packet directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add 2 tsp oil and swirl to coat. Add 1/3 of pork and stirfry for 2 mins or until sealed. Repeat with oil and remaining pork in 2 batches. Add remaining oil to wok. Add onions and stir-fry for 2 mins or until tender. Add chillies and stir-fry for 1min. return pork and any juices to wok. Add bok choy stems. Stir-fry for 1 min. Combine 2 tbsp lime juice, kecap manis and sugar in a jug. Pour over pork and stir-fry for 1 min. Combine 2 tbsp lime juice, kecap manis and sugar in a jug. Pour over pork and stir-fry for 1 min. Add bok choy leaves and stir to combine. Spoon stir-fry over noodles. Serve with lime wedges. Freeze meat and cook on day required.

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Meat & salad stacks Not suitable to freeze 500g shaved leg ham 500g shaved turkey Potato salad (see recipe below) Rice salad (see recipe in vegetarian section) Pumpkin salad (see recipe in vegetarian section) 10 empty 820g fruit tins or pieces of pipe Cranberry sauce to serve If using a fruit tins, line with foil, then baking paper. Cover ends of tins with glad wrap and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spoon potato salad into base and press down to compact (a potato masher works well). Layer ham on top. Repeat with rice salad and turkey. Finish with pumpkin salad (add pine nuts & feta just prior to serving). Refrigerate over night to firm up. To unmould, place on a plate and lift can off, whilst gently pressing down on filling with your hand. Add pine-nuts and feta. Drizzle with cranberry sauce (watered down until runny). Serve with extra cranberry sauce & balsamic vinegar on the table.

Pork snitzels 500g pork leg steaks (ask the butcher to bone and cut a pork leg roast into steaks) 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 2 tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, sage) Plain flour 1 egg Milk Applesauce to serve Mix breadcrumbs, cheese and herbs. Coat pork in flour, dip in egg & milk wash, and coat in breadcrumbs. Dip again in egg wash and coat a 2nd time in the breadcrumbs. Spray a baking tray with oil, place snitzels on the tray and bake for 15-20 mins at 180C until golden. Turn half way through cooking. Snitzels can be frozen crumbed or uncrumbed and cooked fresh on day required.

Potato salad Not suitable to freeze 4 rashers bacon 6 eggs, boiled and chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped ¾ cup corn kernels, cooked 1 cup whole egg mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream 1 tbsp seeded mustard Cracked black pepper Cut potatoes into small chunks and boil until just tender. Drain and refrigerate until cold. Cook bacon until crisp. Cook, then break into pieces. Combine potatoes, bacon, chopped eggs, shallots and corn and gently toss. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and pepper to taste. Gently mix dressing through potato mix.

Zucchini Slice 3 rashers bacon, diced 3 eggs 1 grated carrot 3 medium grated zucchini ½ cup corn kernals 1 cup cheese ½ cup olive oil 1 large diced onion 1 cup self raising flour Salt Pepper Fry onion & bacon. Lightly beat eggs. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake @ 180 for 45mins. This recipe also cooks well in muffin size tins. Freezes well after cooking – great in lunch boxes as muffin sized slice.

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Lamb

Butterfly BBQ lamb Serves: 4 5 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp paprika 1 large lemon, juiced ¼ cup olive oil 1.5kg boned lamb leg, butterflied (ask the butcher to bone and butterfly the leg of lamb) olive oil cooking spray jacket potatoes, to serve Green Olive Mayonnaise

¾ cup whole-egg mayonnaise ½ cup stuffed green olives, chopped 1 tsp paprika ½ small lemon, juiced Combine garlic, paprika, 1 tbsp lemon juice and oil in a large shallow ceramic dish. Season both sides of lamb with salt and pepper. Score lamb skin (to allow marinade to penetrate). Place lamb in marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove from fridge 30 mins before cooking. (I pour the marinade into a ziploc bag with the meat and squish around to coat. Freeze until required. Lamb will marinade in the fridge for a couple of days as it defrosts.) Meanwhile combine mayonnaise, olives, paprika and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Spray bbq or grill when cold. Preheat on high. Reduce to med-high & bbq lamb skin side down for 10 mins. Turn & cook 5 mins. Reduce to med-low and cover with bbq hood or large roasting pan and bbq further 15 mins for medium or longer if desired. Remove from heat and cover loosely with foil. Set aside in a warm place for 10 mins. Slice thinly against the grain. Serve lamb with green olive mayonnaise and jacket potatoes.

Lamb and rosemary pies Makes 2 large pies, or approx 12 individual pies 2kg boned lamb shoulder 1 tbsp olive oil 4 med brown onions (600g), chopped coarsely 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 c plain flour (75g) 1/2 c tomato paste (135g) 1 lt beef stock (4 cups) 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry Trim excess fat from lamb; cut into 2cm pieces. Heat oil in large heavy-based saucepan; cook lamb, in batches until browned all over. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until onion is soft. Add flour and paste; cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and bubbles (mine is lumpy and thick like when you make white sauce). Gradually stir in stock and sauce; stir until mixture boils and thickens. Return lamb (and any juices) to pan; simmer, uncovered, about 45 mins or until lamb is tender. Stir in rosemary. (I usually transfer to my slow cooker for the final cooking as I find it intensifies the flavour. I leave it on low for 10-12 hours. Can freeze mix at this stage.) Preheat oven to hot. Place cooled lamb mixture into two 1.5lt ovenproof dishes. Brush around edge of each dish with egg; top each with 1 sheet of pastry, gently press to seal, trim edges. (Can freeze at this stage) Brush pies with remaining egg; bake, uncovered, in hot oven about 20 mins. Cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning; bake in hot oven about 25 mins or until pastry is well browned. (I usually make pies with pastry base and top. Make family or individual size pies. Can be frozen with the pastry uncooked. Or cook pies and then freeze to be reheated in the oven or microwave. I've also made them with a pastry bottom and mashed potato top - delish!)

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Vegetarian

Antipasto roll 2 cups SR flour ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 ¼ cups sour cream 1 tbsp milk Filling 250g spreadable 1 jar mixed antipasto, drained cream cheese 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano 1 tbsp milk ½ cup grated tasty cheese Combine flour and parsley in a large bowl. Stir in sour cream and milk. Mix quickly to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently. Press or roll dough into a rectangle shape, about 5mm thick. Prepare filling. Beat cream cheese with milk until smooth. Spread evenly over dough. Top with antipasto and oregano. Fold dough from the long edge. Place on a lightly greased baking tray. Cut slits in the roll at 2cm intervals. Brush with extra milk. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a hot oven 200C for 20-25 mins or until golden. Serve warm. (I’ve also made this substituting the antipasto mix with shaved leg ham. Freeze after baking. Reheat in the microwave.)

Bok choy parcels 1 bunch bok choy 1 med onion 1 med carrot 1 red capsicum 1 tbsp butter 1 cup cooked rice 1 egg 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese 2 sheets puff pastry Milk 1 tbsp poppy seeds Wash bok choy thoroughly. Thinly slice the stems and half the leaves, discarding lef tips and base of stems. Finely chop onion & carrot. Slice capsicum into thin strips. Heat butter in a frypan and add onion, carrot & capsicum. Saute over medium heat for 5 mins. Add bok choy. Cook a further 3 mins. Stir rice into cooked vegetables. Cool, then stir in egg & cheese. Spoon filling into centre of pastry sheets. Fold up to form a parcel. Brush lightly with milk. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. (Can be frozen at this stage. Thaw before baking.) Bake at 200 OC for 30-35 mins or until golden. Serve hot or cold. (Can be frozen cooked. Great to slice for lunch boxes. Yum with tomato or other sauce.)

Bruschetta Not suitable to freeze 3 ripe vine ripened tomatoes, diced 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil splash of balsamic vinegar ½ cup basil leaves 1 small loaf sourdough cut into 1 cm slices 1 clove garlic, peeled Heat a char grill pan on medium. Combine tomatoes, red onion, and 1 tablespoon oil, balsamic and season well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Lightly spray pan with olive oil, and char bread on both sides until golden. Rub one side of each with garlic clove. Keep warm. To serve top bread with tomato mixture and sprinkle with basil leaves.

Crepes 3 eggs 200mls water 300mls milk 1 tbs oil 2 ¼ cups plain flour Mix together until smooth. Lightly spray a frypan with cooking spray. Spoon in enough batter to thinly coat the bottom of the frypan. Flip when just set, and cook until just done. Crepes and fillings can be prepared well in advance and reheated in the microwave. Stack them one on top of the other to prevent them from drying out. Wrap well and freeze for 3-4 months. Add filling and roll up, or stack up by placing filling evenly over crepe, add another crepe on top. Spread filling on that crepe and top with another crepe. Continue layering until desired height is achieved. Serve by cutting into wedges. Stacking crepes is great for picnics or lunches (filled with cold meats and salads), or with hot fillings (meats, vegetables, cheese sauce, or Mexican) for dinner. Look online for crepe filling ideas. … or with your favourite sweet fillings for dessert.

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Crumbed camembert Camembert Plain flour 1 egg Small amount milk Bread crumbs Sauce: plum, cranberry, tartare, raspberry Cut the Camembert into wedges. Dip in flour, then egg wash, then bread crumbs. Repeat to crumb twice. This can be made earlier and kept in fridge or frozen on a tray then placed in a ziploc bag until required. Heat oil for deep-frying and fry the cheese wedges a few at a time until golden (approx 20 seconds). If you cook to long they will burst. Serve with sauce.

Mango salsa Not suitable to freeze 2 large mangoes 2 lebanese cucumber, halved, deseeded, diced 1/2 small red onion finely diced 1/2 long red chilli deseeded, thinly sliced 1 avocado, seeded and chopped (toss with a small amount of lemon juice to prevent browning) 1 orange, juiced Remove cheeks from mangoes and cut flesh into 1cm cubes. Gently combine mango, cucumber, onion & chilli in a bowl. Add avocado and orange juice. Toss gently to combine. Serve with corn chips.

Mixed Dahl 60g ghee 2 med brown onions, chopped finely 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 1 ½ tbsp black mustard seeds 1 ½ tbsp ground cumin 1 ½ tbsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground tumeric ¾ cup brown lentils ¾ cup red lentils ¾ cup yellow mung beans ¾ cup green split peas 2 x 400g cans tomatoes 1 lt vegetable stock 2/3 cup coconut cream ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves Heat ghee in a large heavy-base saucean; cook onion, garlic and ginger, stirring, until onion is soft. Add seeds and spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add lentils, beans and peas to pan; stir to combine. Add undrained crushed tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and mixture thickens. (Can be frozen, as is or in portions, covered, at this stage.) Just before serving, add coconut cream and coriander; stir over low heat until dhal is heated through.

pesto Basil, parmesan & cashew pesto 1 ½ cups firmly-packed basil leaves ½ cup cashew nuts 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped ½ cup Extra Virgin olive oil 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated Place basil, cashew nuts and garlic in a food processor. Process (scraping down sides occasionally) until almost smooth. With the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream. Process until all oil is combined. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Add parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Serve with garlic Turkish bread fingers. Pesto can be made 3 days in advance. Cover with a thin layer of oil to prevent browning. Basil pesto 1/2 cups firmly-packed basil leaves 1/2 cup pine nuts 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1/2 cup Jingilli Extra Virgin Olive Oil 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated Place basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Process (scraping down sides occasionally) until almost smooth. With the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream. Process until all oil is combined. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Add parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. For parsley and basil pesto, reduce basil to 1 cup and add 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves. For basil and almond pesto, replace pine nuts with toasted slivered almonds. Mint and almond pesto

1 1/2 cups firmly-packed mint leaves 1/2 cup slivered almonds 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated Place mint, almonds and garlic in a food processor. Process (scraping down sides occasionally) until almost smooth. With the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream. Process until all oil is combined. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Add parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.

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Pesto cont. Spinach, rocket and macadamia pesto

1 cup baby spinach 1/2 cup baby rocket 1/2 cup roasted salted macadamia nuts 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated Place spinach, rocket, macadamia nuts and garlic in a food processor. Process (scraping down sides occasionally) until almost smooth. With the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream. Process until all oil is combined. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Add parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Parsley, roasted pistachio and chilli pesto 1/4 cup pistachio kernels 1 1/2 cups firmly-packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1 long red chilli, deseeded, roughly chopped 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pistachios on tray. Roast for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool. Place pistachio kernels, parsley, garlic and chilli in a food processor. Process (scraping down sides occasionally) until almost smooth. With the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream. Process until all oil is combined. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Add parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Note: You can store unused pesto in a sterilised jar. Cover top with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil and store in the fridge for up to 3 months. Or freeze until required.

Pumpkin salad Not suitable to freeze 1 packet spinach leaves ¼ pumpkin, diced 2 red capsicum, diced Rock salt 1 packet pine-nuts, toasted 150g Danish feta cheese Red onion (optional) Olive oil Balsamic vinegar Place pumpkin and capsicum on oven tray and sprinkle with olive oil and rock salt. Bake until soft. Toast the pine-nuts in fry pan (watch they burn very quickly). Place spinach leaves on platter, top with pumpkin and capsicum mix. Sprint feta cheese and nuts over top. Sprinkle a small amount of balsamic vinegar or other dressing over top.

Rice salad Not suitable to freeze 1 cup currants 2 red capsicums, diced small 1 spring onion, finely chopped 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped 3 tbsp sunflower seeds, toast if desired 250g cashew nuts, toasted 3 cups uncooked brown rice Dressing ¾ olive oil 4 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp honey 5-6 cloves garlic, crushed Cook rice and allow to cool. Mix all salad ingredients together except cashew nuts, sunflower seeds and dressing. Add these just prior to serving. To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake until mixed well. (Adjust to your taste. I add less garlic, and more honey.) (I like to add more parsley, currants and sunflower seeds. Toasted pumpkin seeds would also be good. This makes a HUGE bowl full. For my family I half the recipe and it lasts us for a couple of days. It’s great at Christmas with the red and green colouring.)

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roasted Vegetable Quiche 1 lg potato 400g pumpkin 200g orange sweet potato 2 lg parsnips 1 red capsicum 2 onions, cut into wedges 6 cloves garlic, halved 2 tsp olive oil 1 ¼ c plain flour 40g butter 45g ricotta 1 c skim milk 3 eggs, lightly beaten ¼ c grated cheddar 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil Preheat oven to 180OC. Lightly spray a 23cm loose-based flan tin with oil (or grease a quiche dish or muffin tins - you could also line them if you think they will stick). Cut the vegetables into small chunks. Place in baking dish with onion and garlic, and drizzle with the oil. Season & bake for 1 hour or until tender. Leave to cool. Mix the flour, butter & ricotta in a food processor, then gradually add up to 3 tbsp of the milk to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gather together into a small ball. Cover & refrigerate for 15 mins. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface, then ease it into the tin. Trim the edge and refrigerate for 10 mins. Increase the oven to 200OC. Cover the pastry with crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beads or rice. Bake for 10 mins, remove beads & paper, then bake for 10 mins. (I’ve added cracked pepper to the dough which is nice. Herbs would be good too. I don’t blind bake the pastry. You can also use bought pastry – shortcrust, puff or filo.) Place the vegetables in the pastry and pour in the combined remaining milk, egg, cheese & basil. Reduce the oven to 180OC. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins, or until set. Leave in the tin for 5 mins. (Cooked quiches freeze well.) (This recipe can be a little expensive depending on seasonal vegies, but it’s very nice and very filling. You could try other veg too. It makes 1 lg or about 12 muffin size quiches. If you’re making smaller ones, you may need more of the egg & milk mix.)

Smashed potatoes Not suitable to freeze One medium potato per person Sour cream Fresh herbs – chives, parsley Microwave potatoes until tender. Place on an oiled bbq plate and press down with a lifter until the potato flattens (it will split open at the sides). Cook, turning once until both sides are golden and crisp. Top with sour cream and chopped fresh herbs.

Spinach & ricotta Cannelloni Serves 4-6 1kg spinach (fresh or frozen) 1 lg onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 650g ricotta cheese 2 eggs, beaten ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 box cannelloni tubes 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated (or use cheddar) Tomato sauce 1 tbsp olive oil 1 med onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 500g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp sugar (alternatively use ready made tomato & basil pasta sauce) Cook spinach in boiling water until tender. Drain. Once cool, squeeze spinach tightly to remove excess water. Combine spinach, onion, garlic, ricotta cheese, eggs and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well. Fill cannelloni tubes evenly with filling. To make sauce Place olive oil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to med-low, simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. (The sauce can be blended if you prefer a smooth sauce to a chunky one.) Spread half the tomato sauce on the bottom of a greased baking dish. Lay out filled cannelloni tubes on tops of the sauce. Spread remaining sauce over the tubes. Sprinkle with grated cheese. (Can be frozen at this stage. Thaw before baking.) Bake at 180C for 30-40 mins or until cheese is golden brown and pasta is cooked (test by inserting a skewer into the pasta – is should be very soft).

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Sweet things

Archi’s pancakes These are fluffy American style pancakes 1 ¼ c plain flour 3 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp sugar ½ tsp salt 1 beaten egg 1 c milk 2 tbsp oil Mix dry ingredients together. Combine egg, milk and oil. Add dry ingredients to wet mix. Stir until no lumps. Cook in non-stick pan until bubbles appear and bottom is golden. Flip and cook until risen and cooked through (will feel like a cake when cooked – soft but springs back). Make small or large pancakes. Our favourite is to make pikelet size and layer with yoghurt (or icecream if we feel particularly naughty) and frozen berries, with a drizzle of maple syrup or topping over the top. Mmmm. Freezes well.

Baked Jaffa cheesecake Crust 2 tbsp cocoa ½ cup plain flour 1 tbsp caster sugar 45g butter, chopped 1 tbsp water Filling 500g cream cheese, 2 tbsp grated orange rind cut into pieces ¼ cup orange juice ¾ cup sugar 3 eggs 1/3 cup plain flour ¼ cup cream 100g dark chocolate, Red & yellow food colouring Melted if desired Preheat oven to moderate. Brush a 23cm round springform tin with oil. Line base with paper. Grease paper. Place cocoa, flour, sugar and butter in food processor bowl. Process for 30 seconds or until the mixture is fine and crumbly. Add water, process further 10 seconds or until mixture just comes together. Tip into cake tin and press down until even and base is covered.

To make filling, beat cream cheese and rind until light and creamy. Gradually add juice and sugar, beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Sift over flour; fold in with cream. Add food colouring, a little at a time, until desired jaffa colour is achieved. Combine melted chocolate and one cup of cream cheese mixture in bowl. Spoon cream cheese mixture over base. Drop spoonfuls of chocolate mixture randomly over top. Swirl with a fork or skewer. Bake 30 – 35 mins or until set. Cool 3 hours before serving. To decorate, pipe whipped cream around the outside and top with orange stick, crushed orange time tams or crushed jaffas (add jaffas just prior to serving as they ‘bleed’ into the cream. Freezes well.

Banana Choc Chip Muffin 100g butter 3 ripe bananas 3/4 c sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp milk 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 c flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 c choc chips Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Peel then mash the bananas in a mixing bowl - add the sugar, mixing to combine. Lightly beat together butter, egg and milk - add to the banana mixture. Then add dry ingredients - mix lightly with a fork until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon mixture into well greased muffin tin. Bake at 190oC for 15-20 minutes. Freezes well.

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Banana and raspberry bread Super Food Ideas – February 2006 , Page 23 Makes 10 slices 150g butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 ripe bananas, peeled, mashed (see note) 2 cups self-raising flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ cup milk ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (see tip) butter, to serve Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease base and sides of a 7cm deep, 11cm x 21cm (base) loaf pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale. Add egg, in 2 batches, beating well after each addition. Stir in banana. Sift flour and baking powder over banana mixture. Add milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Carefully fold in raspberries. Spoon mixture into loaf pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 10 even slices. Note: You will need 1 cup mashed banana for this recipe. Tip: If using frozen raspberries, place on paper towel to thaw before using. To freeze: Individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Remove from freezer and unwrap. Spread with butter or margarine and rewrap. Place into lunch box frozen. Slice will thaw by recess.

Banana Delicious Not suitable to freeze 4 medium bananas 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 eggs 2 tbsp caster sugar 1 c desiccated coconut 2 tbsp apricot jam Pre-heat the oven 180 degrees. Slice bananas into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle bananas with the lemon juice. Cream eggs and sugar in a separate bowl. Stir in coconut and jam. Mix well. Pour evenly over bananas. Bake 25 min or till golden brown. Serve with Ice-cream or cream.

Blueberry & pecan friands 185g melted butter 1 cups icing sugar 1 cup almond meal 1/2 cup plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp grated lemon rind 1/2 tsp cinnamon 6 egg whites 1 tsp vanilla Topping 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp oil 1 punnet blueberries (or use frozen) Combine butter, icing sugar, almond meal, flour, baking powder, lemon rind, cinnamon and mix until just combined. Beat egg whites & vanilla with a fork until frothy. Fold through almond mixture. Put a spoonful of mix into greased friand (or muffin) tins. Tops with 2-3 blueberries. Repeat. Spoon over remaining batter. Mix topping together and sprinkle evenly over unbaked friends. Drizzle with oil. Top with extra 3-4 blueberries. Bake at 180oC for 35 to 40 mins. These friands freeze well. (I have made these using Gluten Free flour and they are very good.)

Chocolate Berry and meringue layers 6 egg whites 1 ½ cups caster sugar 140g dark chocolate ¼ cup water 2 cups whipped cream 250g strawberries or raspberries Extra berries for decoration Cocoa or grated chocolate for decoration Preheat oven to 150 C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper. Place egg whites into large, dry mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating constantly after each addition. Beat for 5 minutes or until thick and glossy and sugar has dissolved. Spread on baking paper in 5cm circles. Bake 20 mins or until pale and crisp. Turn off oven and cool meringues in oven with door ajar. Combine chocolate and water in a small pan over low heat, stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool slightly until just thickened. Spread chocolate sauce over two thirds of the meringue discs. Allow to set. Place one chocolate coated disc on serving plate. Spread with cream and top with berries. Top with another chocolate disc, cream and berries. Place a plain meringue disc on top and spread with cream. Decorate with extra berries and dust with cocoa or grated chocolate. Refrigerate. Meringue layers can be made 2 -3 days ahead or frozen. Re crisp in a warm oven in needed.

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Chocolate dipped strawberries Not suitable to freeze 2 punnets strawberries, washed, dried 300g dark, milk or white chocolate Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Chop chocolate into even-sized pieces. Place into a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 1 minute bursts until melted. Holding strawberries carefully by the top, dip in chocolate. Place onto prepared trays. Allow to set at room temperature. Place a small amount of melted chocolate into a ziploc bag. Snip off a small corner, and gently squeeze as you drizzle across the strawberry. Allow to set.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gateau Serves 6-8 6 x 59g eggs, at room temperature 1 c caster sugar 1 c SR flour ¾ c cocoa 2 tbsp corn flour ¼ c milk 125g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped Milk chocolate ganache 400g milk chocolate, roughly chopped ¾ c cream Dark chocolate ganache 200g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped ½ c cream Sugared rose petals (optional) 6 roses, petals removed 1 eggwhite, lightly beaten ½ c caster sugar Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease & line a 24cm (base) springform cake pan. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for 8-10 mins, or until pale & thick. Sift flour, cocoa and cornflour over egg mixture. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold ingred together until just combined. Fold in milk. Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 40-45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes our clean (don’t over cook or the cake will be dry). Cool in pan for 10 mins. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Make ganaches Place milk chocolate & cream into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir constantly with a metal spoon until smooth. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until thick enough to spread – 1-2 hours (needs to be quite thick so it doesn’t ooze off the cake). Repeat process for dark chocolate ganache. (I usually just heat the cream in the microwave until hot and then stir through the chocolate until smooth.) Make petals Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a small brush to paint petals with eggwhite. Sprinkle with sugar. Place on tray until set. Assemble cake Using a serrated knife, slice cake into 4 even rounds. Place bottom of round onto serving plate. Spread with 1/3 milk ganache. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the chopped hazelnuts. Repeat twice more, finishing with cake. Spread top & sides of cake with dark chocolate ganache. Decorate with rose petals. This cake freezes well (without the rose petals of course!)

Chocolate hazelnut self-saucing pudding Not suitable to freeze ½ cup milk 40g dark chocolate 50g butter 1/3 cup cocoa powder ½ cup self-raising flour ¼ cup hazelnut meal 1/3 cup caster sugar 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 egg ¾ cup water 40g butter 200g ice-cream Chocolate hazelnut sauce: ½ cup cream 2 tbs brown sugar 50g dark chocolate 1/3 cup nutella Preheat oven to moderate. Grease 4 1 cup ovenproof dishes. Stir milk, chocolate, butter and half of the cocoa in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Combine flour, hazelnut meal, caster sugar and half of the brown sugar in medium bowl. Add chocolate mixture and egg; stir until combined. Divide mixture among prepared dishes. Stir the water, extra butter, remaining brown sugar and remaining cocoa in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Pour hot mixture gently and evenly over puddings; bake puddings, uncovered, in moderate oven about 25 minutes; top with ice-cream then hazelnut sauce. Chocolate hazelnut sauce Combine cream and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth. Add nutella; stir until smooth. This dessert is best served hot because the sauce is quickly absorbed by the puddings.

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Chocolate Mousse Not suitable to freeze 200g chocolate 40g butter 1 tbs icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla 4 eggs, separated 2/3 cup whipped cream Melt chocolate and allow to cool slightly. Beat butter, icing & vanilla together. Add yolks one at a time, beating well after each one. Add chocolate and beat until smooth. Fold in cream. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Set overnight or a few days to thicken up.

Chocolate Mudcake 250g butter 400g chocolate 2 cups castor sugar 1 1/3 cups water 3/4 cup plain flour 3/4 cup sr flour 1/4 cup cocoa + 3 eggs lightly beaten 1 tbs cocoa Preheat oven to 150oC. Grease and line tin with baking paper. Sift flours & cocoa into large bowl. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and water in a pan. Stir over low heat until melted and sugar dissolved. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Add eggs and mix well but don't over beat. Pour into tin and bake 1 3/4 hours at 150C. Cover with foil once taken out of oven and cool in pan. Chocolate ganache 100ml cream 200g chocolate Melt together in microwave bowl. Allow to cool until thick enough to spread over cake or pipe. To make White Chocolate mudcake Substitute 400g white chocolate. Increase flours to 1 cup SR and 1 cup Plain flours. Add 1tsp vanilla extract. Frost with white chocolate ganache. To make Caramel mudcake Substitute 400g white chocolate (or use caramel choc buds if you can find them). Increase flours to 1 cup SR and 1 cup Plain flours. Add 1tsp vanilla extract. Substitute white sugar for brown sugar. Caramel Frosting 1/2 c butter, chopped 1 c firmly packed brown sugar 1/3 c milk 1 1/2 c sifted icing sugar Melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the brown sugar and milk then bring to the boil. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, cool. Add enough sifted icing sugar mixture to give a spreading consistency, stir until smooth. These mudcakes freeze well, iced or uniced.

Pistachio cherries Not suitable to freeze 500g fresh cherries, washed, dried 300g dark, milk or white chocolate 300g pistachio nuts, shelled, finely chopped Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Melt chocolate, as above. Place nuts into a bowl. Holding cherries by their stalks, dip in chocolate, then nuts. Place onto prepared trays. Allow to set at room temperature. Serve.

Creamed Rice Pudding 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways (or ½ tsp vanilla extract) 1 cinnamon stick ½ cup medium grain rice 2/3 cup caster sugar 1.25 lt skim milk 1/3 cup sultanas (or raisins) 1 egg 2 egg whites 1 cup light evaporated milk ½ tsp ground nutmeg sugar-free jam, to serve Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place in a saucepan with the pod, cinnamon stick, rice, caster sugar and skim milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 50 mins, or until the rice is cooked. (Be careful as it can boil over easily) Remove from the heat and take out the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. Stir in the sultanas. Preheat the oven to warm 170C. Place the egg, egg whites and evaporated milk in a bowl and beat until well combined. Stir into the rice mixture. Pour the pudding mixture into a shallow, 2lt ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Place the dish in a roasting tin and pour boiling water into the tin to come halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 20 mins, or until set. Serve with a spoonful of jam. We love this cold, even for breakfast!

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Date Loaf Preheat oven to 180OC (or 160OC for a gas oven). Prepare loaf pan with cooking spray or lightly grease with butter. 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup boiling water 1 tsp bicarb soda 2 tbsp melted butter / marg ¾ cup brown sugar 1 egg, beaten (1 extra egg, 1 ½ cup SR flour optional – but doesn’t really 1/3 cup chopped nuts need it) (optional) 2 small mashed bananas (optional) Place dates in heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over bicarb. Pour over boiling water and soak for 10 mins. Stir in melted butter, brown sugar and egg. Mix in SR flour and nuts and mashed bananas (if desired). Pour into prepared pan and bake at 180oC for approx 30 mins or until loaf springs back to touch. Freezes well.

Easy Ice-Cream 1 can of evaporated Juice of 1 orange milk – not the lite one Juice of 1 lemon One large very well Pulp of 2 or 3 passionfruit mashed banana ¾ cup caster sugar Chill evaporated mil overnight. Using electric beaters beat until stiff (almost as stiff as egg whites). Add sugar and keep beating. Then add juices, pulp and banana. Pour into plastic container and freeze.

Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake 125g plain chocolate biscuits 60g butter, melted Filling 1 cup ricotta 250g cream cheese 1 cup caster sugar 3 eggs, separated 2 tsp cocoa 1 tbsp water (may need a 125g dark chocolate, little more) melted (cooking choc 1 cup cream, lightly whipped is fine) Line the base of a springform cake tin with foil. Brush with oil. Process biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed (20 secs). Transfer to a bowl and add melted butter. Mix until well combined. Press firmly into the base of prepared tin. Refrigerate for 20 mins or until quite firm. To make filling: using electric beaters, beat cheeses in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar & beat until well combined. Add egg yolks, beat until smooth. Dissolve cocoa in water (until a thin paste), add to cheese mixture with melted chocolate; mix well. Using electric beaters, beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form.

Gently fold whipped cream, then egg whites into cheese mixture. Pour mixture into tin. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 4 hours or until firm. Before serving, decorate with whipped cream and chocolate hearts. Dust with sifted cocoa powder. (I like to pipe large swirls of cream around the outside, and grate chocolate over them). Cut into thin wedges to serve. A great dessert to make ahead. Can also make in individual ramekin dishes, lined with gladwrap. Dip dish in hot water to loosen before serving.

Lemon Meringue Pies Not suitable to freeze Pastry 125g butter 1 ¼ c plain flour ¼ c icing sugar sm amount cold water Process butter, flour and icing sugar in food processor. Add a small amount of cold water until pastry comes together. Refrigerate for ½ hour. Roll out and cut to tray size (mini or normal muffins). Bake 180oC for 10 mins.Cool pastry cases. Remove from tins and place on a baking tray. Filling 1 c lemon juice ¾ c caster sugar ¼ c corn flour – mixed with enough water to make a paste Sprinkling of gelatine In a small pan, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice over low heat. Add the corn flour. Sprinkle over gelatine and cook through. Cool, then fill pastry cases. Meringue 6 egg whites ¾ c caster sugar Beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe onto filled pie cases. Bake for 10 mins or until golden (don’t over cook). Can be made the day before. I guess you could freeze the unbaked pastry, or baked pastry shells, and the filling mix separately, and assemble when required.

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Mrs Field’s Cookies Makes approx 60 500g butter, softened 1 ½ c white sugar 2 c dark brown sugar 2 tbsp vanilla 3 eggs 6 cups plain flour 1 ½ tsp bicarb soda 1 ½ tsp salt 4 cups choc chips 2 cups chopped nuts (optional) Cream butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Mix together flour, bicarb and salt. Stir into butter mixture. Batter will be sticky but dry. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Stir. Drop by small icecream scoops onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake at 175oC for 8-10 mins. Cool 5 mins on sheet. (These cookies freeze really well)

Mum’s Lemonade Scones Makes 12 3 cups SR Flour 1 cup cream 1 cup lemonade Pinch salt Mix ingredients together. Roll out and cut with a floured glass or cookie cutter. Place next to each other on a baking tray (just touching). Brush with a little milk and bake at 180oC until golden. Freeze well. (A larger batch of 16 can be made by increasing ingredients to 4c SR flour, 375ml lemonade, 300ml cream and a pinch of salt)

Pear & white chocolate friands 185g melted butter 1 1/2 cups icing sugar 1 cup almond meal 1/2 cup plain flour 1 cup white chocolate pieces 6 egg whites 3 pears peeled & quartered Combine butter, icing sugar, almond meal, flour, and white choc pieces until just combined. Beat egg whites with a fork until frothy. Fold through almond mixture. Put in tins (friand or muffin). Place a pear on top of each unbaked friend (I slice pears thinly and fan them out of top of the friand). Bake at 180oC for 20 to 25 mins. (I also like to drizzle with melted white choc once cooled. These friands freeze well.)

Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding Not suitable to freeze 1 cup SR flour Sauce 2 tbsp cocoa ¾ cup brown sugar ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup cocoa 30g butter 1 ¾ cup hot water ½ cup milk 1 tsp vanilla Sift flour and cocoa. Add sugar. Mix into a batter with melted butter, milk and vanilla. Pour into a deep ovenproof dish. Mix together sugar and cocoa. Blend with water. Pour over sponge. Bake in a moderate oven for 50-60 mins. Serve warm with custard, cream or ice cream.

Sticky Date Roll Swiss roll style Can also be made in a lamington pan or muffin tins 2 tbs white sugar Butterscotch sauce 1 cup seeded dates 1/2 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup boiling water 2/3 cup cream 1 tsp bicarb 100g butter 50g butter 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup self raising flour 300ml cream Grease a 25 x 30 cm swiss roll pan and line with baking paper. Lay another sheet of baking paper on a tea towel and sprinkle with white sugar. Combine dates, water & soda in food bowl processor and stand 5 mins. Add butter & brown sugar and process until almost smooth. Add eggs & flour and process until just combined. Pour into pan and bake in moderate oven for 15 mins. Turn cake onto sugared paper and cut off crisp edges. (I usually don’t bother with this). Roll cake and hold for 30 seconds then unroll. Cover with tea towel & cool. Beat cream until thick. Fold in ¼ cup butterscotch sauce. Spread evenly over cake and roll cake and serve with sauce. Butterscotch sauce Combine ingredients in pan and stir over heat until sugar has dissolved and butter is melted. Can also be done in the microwave The unfilled cake freezes well, either as swiss roll sheet, lamington pan (I cut through centre and fill with cream) or muffin size (I pipe swirls of cream on top and drizzle with butterscotch sauce). You can also cut up the swiss roll sheet and layer with cream in individual glasses for a trifle style effect. Add slices of banana between the layers if desired.

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To Die For Blueberry Muffins Makes 8 "Big blueberry flavor warrants big muffins, so fill the cups right up for oversized muffins that will please everyone. The cinnamon-sugar streusel is the crowning glory." 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1/3 cup milk 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup butter, cubed 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I use ½ tsp as I find 1 ½ quite strong) Preheat oven to 200oC. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. (If using frozen blueberries, thaw on paper towel and layer batter and blueberries in muffin pans as mixing them into the batter will turn in purple. Reserve some blueberries to press into crumb topping.) To Make Crumb Topping Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done. Freezes well. This recipe appears in the Allrecipes "Tried & True Favorites" cookbook. Buy it online at http://allrecipes.com/favorites/

20 Minute Chocolate Cake This is an American recipe which is made in a very large sheet cake pan. I haven’t found a pan like this in Australia, and it wouldn’t fit in my small oven – so I use a lamington pan and cook it longer. 2 cups plain flour 2 cups sugar 250g butter 1 cup water 4 tbsp cocoa 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp bicarb 1 tsp vanilla ½ cup buttermilk (mix together ½ cup milk and 1tsp vinegar) Preheat oven to 205oC. Line a lamington tray with baking paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Mix together flour and sugar. Combine butter, water and cocoa in a microwave bowl and heat until butter has melted (stirring every 1-2 mins). Mix chocolate mix into flour and sugar. Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and bicarb. Mix until smooth. Pour into tray and bake until cooked through (check after 20 mins). Cake can be filled with cream if desired. Top with chocolate ganache. Cake can be frozen with or without ganache. This recipe can also be made as muffin size cakes. Chocolate Ganache 100ml cream 200g chocolate Put cream and chocolate in microwave container and melt on high for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until chocolate has melted and sauce is smooth. Cool until thickened and spread on cake. (It needs to be thick enough so it won’t run off the cake.) Freezes well.

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Sandwich Fillings Diced Chicken Breast, Avocado & Cheese Diced Chicken Breast, Tomato, Coral Lettuce,

Vegetable Chutney Diced Chicken Breast, Mayonnaise, Coral Lettuce Diced Chicken Breast, Roasted Capsicum, Tomato

Pesto Diced Chicken, Roasted Capsicum, Tomato Pesto Thai Chicken, Coral Lettuce Sweet Chilli Chicken, Yoghurt, Coral Lettuce Roast Beef, Tomato, Onion Roast Beef, Garlic Butter, Coral Lettuce Roast Beef, Horserelish Roast Beef, Pickles, Coral Lettuce Roast Beef, Coral Lettuce, Vegetable Relish Roast Beef, Dill, Aoli, Coral Lettuce Roast Beef, Smoked Cheese, French Mustard, Alfalfa Champagne Ham, Tomato, Cheese Smoked Ham, Brie, Wholemeal Mustard Ham, Tomato Butter, Coral Lettuce Honey Ham, Seeded Mustard, Tasmanian Brie Champagne Ham, Char gilled Vegetables, Coral

Lettuce Smoked Salmon, Spanish Onions, Capers Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Wasabi, Aoli Pastrami, Tomato, Basil, Cracked Pepper Prosciutto, Sundried Tomatoes, Pesto, Coral Lettuce Tuna, Shallots, Mayonnaise Tuna, Salad Tuna, Cucumber, Alfalfa Salami, Swiss Cheese, Spanish Onion, Relish Salami, Salad Turkey , Cranberry Sauce Turkey , Tomato, Snow Pea Sprouts Turkey , Salad Lamb, Chutney, Coral Lettuce Bacon, Coral Lettuce, Tomato with Aoli Salmon, Spanish Onion, Garlic Mayonnaise Salmon, Salad Asparagus, Ham, Cheese

Vegetarian Suggestions Asparagus, Ricotta Cheese, Cucumber Roasted Capsicum, Salad, Tomato Pesto, Salad Roasted Eggplant, Caramelised Onion, Vegetable

Relish Char grilled Vegetables, Tomato Pesto, Coral Lettuce Swiss Cheese, Tomato, Basil Pesto

Egg, Coral Lettuce, Mayonnaise Curried Egg Tasty Cheese, Salad Asparagus, Swiss Cheese, Coral Lettuce Asparagus, Salad

“NOT BORING SANDWICHES AGAIN!”

Sound familiar? Then try these tasty alternatives…….. CORN THINS: with cream cheese, ham and sweet gherkins with cream cheese, ham and tomato with pesto and roast beef with mashed avocado PITA BREAD: with ham, cheese and tomato with ham, cheese and pineapple with chicken and Caesar salad with salmon/tuna salad with char grilled vegetables with meat and salad with egg salad and lettuce with chicken and coleslaw CROISSANT: with ham and cheese with turkey and cranberry sauce with jam with Italian meats and cheese with chicken, avocado and snow pea sprouts BURRITOS: with left-over stir fry chicken or beef with chicken schnitzel and Caesar salad with meat and salad BAGELS: with cream cheese and smoked salmon with pate, Jarlsburg cheese and cucumber with pesto and roast beef ENGLISH with tomato paste, salami, MUFFINS: pineapple and capsicum with cheese and vegemite LAVASH: with peanut butter and honey with salad with ham and pickles with sweet chilli chicken and salad with chicken and avocado Try pinwheels or triple decker sandwiches using different varieties of bread. Check out subway or online catering company menus etc. for more ideas.

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Sick of bread altogether? Try these…

Bacon and Egg pie Cheerios Boiled egg Scotch egg Frittata Fried rice Quiche Honey & Soy Chicken Caesar salad Potato Salad

Chicken wings with salad Tuna and crackers Dry cereal Weet-Bix with honey Pasta salad Kabana and cheese Kababs Savoury muffins (Texas style)

Banana Punch 6 cups water 5 cups sugar (3 if you want to reduce) 1 lt orange juice 1 lt pineapple juice Juice from 2 lemons 1.25lt ginger beer 2lt lemonade Boil water and sugar for at least 10 min (until sugar has dissolved). Cool. Blend 5 bananas, orange juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Mix with the syrup and freeze until solid. Place in a punch bowl and add soft drink to serve. Mint punch 2 cups mint leaves, remove stalks 1 cup water 2 cups sugar Rind of one lemon 5 cups water 2/3 cup lemon juice Green food colouring, if desired 4lt Lemonade to serve (approx) Stir until sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes then strain. Add water, lemon juice, and green food colouring. Freeze until solid. Add lemonade to serve. Passionfruit lime crush 1 cup fresh passionfruit pulp 1 ½ cups lime juice cordial 1.5 lt ginger ale Combine the passionfruit pulp, lime juice and ginger ale in a large jug. Pour into glasses filled with crushed ice. Serve immediately.

Pine lemon lime punch 3 cups chopped fresh fruit of choice 1 cup pineapple or orange juice (collect fresh juice during chopping of fruit if possible) 1.25lt bottle lemon lime & bitters Lime slices Ice Combine all ingredients in a jug or bowl. Serve immediately. To make the punch as cold as possible, start with cold ingredients. Pine Orange Punch 1lt Pine Orange golden circle juice 1 tin of fruit salad mix 1.25 lt ginger beer 2 lt lemonade Mix fruit juice and fruit salad mix and freeze until solid. Place in a punch bowl and add soft drink to serve. Red Punch 1/2 small bottle red cordial 1lt tera pak pine orange juice 1 orange, skin off 1 apple, skin on 1.25lt lemonade 1.25lt Sunkist 1.25lt ginger ale Blend together then freeze until solid. Place in a punch bowl and add soft drink to serve.