Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you need:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup choc chips
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour

step 1: melt the butter in the microwave. put the dry ingrediants and chocolate into a bowl.

step 2: mix the butter, egg and peanut butter together. add to dry ingrediants. mix well until it forms a soft dough.

step 3: roll into small balls. place apart on a baking paper lined tray. cook at 180C for 10-15min or until golden on the bottom.

(these biscuits come out of the oven soft but harden on standing!!!)

Ricotta and Pumpkin Lasanga

the photo above is this recipe made with lamb mince

what you need:

sauce:
100gr ricotta
30gr butter
30gr plain flour
300mls milk
cheese

mince -works best with chicken or lamb
spinach
tomato paste
pumpkin
spices - i use paprika, pepper and chilli
herbs - i use parsely and chives
lasanga sheets

step 1: boil and mash the pumpkin. set aside.

step 2: fry off the mince in a small amount of oil. add the spices. add in the tomato paste and mix to combine.

step 3: in a saucepan on a low heat, melt the butter. add in the flour and mix. cook it off for around a minute making sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan. slowly add the milk till the mix forms a thick sauce. add the cheese and ricotta and keep mixing till it melts. add the herbs. chop the spinach and add that too.

step 4: get out a large deep lasanga pan. start by putting a thin layer of the meat on the bottom, top with the mashed pumpkin and then the white sauce. place a layer of the lasanga sheets. continue with the layering until all the meat and pumpkin is used. add a final layer of the pasta to the top and cover with remaining cheese sauce. if you want to, add another layer of cheese on the top.

step 4: bake in 180C oven for aroun 45- 1 hour until brown and bubbling.

TIP: instant lasanga sheets need to be in contact with a wet sauce in order to cook. so make sure you layer the pasta above or below where you put the sauce.

Grandmas Rice Pudding

what you need:

1 cup of white rice
pinch of salt
water
butter
sugar
sultanas
milk
nutmeg

step 1: rinse the rice until the water runs clear.

step 2: place the rice and the salt into a microwave safe dish and cover the rice with water until the level is about an inch above the rice.

step 3: cook in microwave for 15-20mins until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed.

step 4: stir in the butter, sugar, sultanas, nutmeg and milk. microwave again until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is absorbed.

Caramel Sauce

what you need:

50gr butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream

step 1: place butter and sugar in a saucepan on low heat until the sugar has dissolved

step 2: add the cream, bring to boil and then simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens.

Rum and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

What you need:

1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup coconut
3 tablespoon rum
3 eggs
3 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 cups milk
6 pieces of white bread
200gr chopped dark chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
butter

step 1: butter one side of each piece of bread and lay them into a shallow baking dish.

step 2: soak the coconut in the rum and vanilla essence for 10min. add in the eggs, cocoa and sugar. mix well.

step 3: add in the chopped chocolate and milk.

step 4: pour the wet mix over the bread and let the dish sit in the fridge for an hour.

step 5: preheat the oven to 180C and cook for 35-40min or until the bread has soaked up the custard mix.

serve with a nice big helping of ice cream or whipped cream.

alterations: for more custard add another egg and some more milk. if you want the custard creamier add half a cup of cream into the wet mix. for a sweet change, spread one side of the bread with jam! or you can even spread one side of the bread with nutella! dried fruit makes a good addition too!!

bread and butter pudding is one of those easily changeable desserts that everyone has a different recipe for.

Cream Cheese Frosting

this makes an awesome addition to any cake or muffin. add lemon juice for a great twist to a banana or carrot cake. and for a chocolate frosting, add 4 tablespoons of cocoa to the icing sugar before you start beating! the picture you see above is the chocolate version.

What you need:

125gr soft butter
125gr cream cheese
1 tea spoon vanilla essence
450gr icing sugar

step 1: beat butter, cheese and vanilla essence together using a hand mixer on low speed.

step 2: sift the icing sugar. add to wet mix and beat on high for 5mins or until soft and fluffy.

step 3: set aside in fridge until it stiffens up enough to spread without running all over the place. enjoy!!

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake!

What you need:

1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice (meyers lemons dont set cheesecakes!)
2 tins of condensed milk
2 packets of philly cream cheese softened (the full fat one)
packet of Nice biscuits or those coffee ones
80gr of melted butter

step 1: make sure the cream cheese is soft! if not, put it in the microwave until it begins to soften. mix in the condensed milk to the softened philly.

step 2: add the lemon juice to the philly mix. mix well. you will see and feel the philly mix start to become less watery as the lemon juice starts to set the philly.

step 3: crush the nice biscuits into a fine crumb. line a 27cm springform tin with baking paper.

step 4: mix the biscuits with the melted butter, only use enough butter to make the crumb mix "stick" to itself.

step 5: press the crumb mix into the tin to form a base and sides. press down hard with your hands to make sure its firm! if its not firm it may collapse when you put the wet mix in!!

step 6: put the wet mix into the crumb crust. refrigerate for at least 3 hours before removing the edge. if you remove the edge to early before the cake has set the mix will run off the sides.. yummy, but quite messy and disappointing.

Breakfast Muffins

these are my breakfast muffins. i pretty much alter them every time i cook them according to what fruit i have in the fridge. if you add more wet fruit, add more coconut etc.. you can even add nuts if you want!!! these dont use milk or butter and hardly any sugar... so as healthy as they can be..

What you need:

2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of yoghurt (any flavour you like!)
2 bananas
1/2 cup coconut
2 tablespoons of honey
2 medium diced apples

step 1: combine all dry ingredients. chop apples into tiny pieces. whisk eggs and mash up the bananas.

step 2: combine all ingredients.

step 3: oil a 12 cup muffin tin. add a tablespoon of the mix to each cup.

step 4: cook at 200C for 20mins.

enjoy!!! a healthy muffiny treat for those lazy mornings. these also freeze well in an airtight container. just zap them in the microwave to refresh them!

Easy-As Satay

What you need:

1 cup of stirfry vegies (what ever works for you)
1 cup of singapore noodles per person
beef or chicken strips
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons salt reduced soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter (crunchy or smooth doesnt matter)
1/2 tablespoon mild chili sauce
water

step 1: cook the vegies and meat and set aside.

step 2: cook the noodles till soft in boiling water. drain but leave about 3-4 tablespoons of the water in the pan at the end of cooking.

step 3: mix the sauce ingredients into the noodles over a low heat. once the peanut butter has melted, add the meat and meat juices and then vegies. mix until all coated and warmed through. and then serve!!!

Quiche

cant go past a good quiche. i just serve mine either by itself in a huge piece for a nice winter dinner or a small piece with salad for summer. its so much better cold and just munched on in front of the tv.

What you need:
sheet of puff pastry
200ml cream
6 eggs
grated cheese
salt and pepper
bacon
onion

step 1: lay puff pastry onto a greased flan dish. cut off the excess pastry and use it to fill the holes that are missing pastry.

step 2: cook the bacon and onion. i just do it in the microwave, stirring every few minutes. pat dry once cooked.

step 3: beat the eggs and cream together in a bowl. add the cheese and the bacon mix.

step 4: pour into pastry and cook in 180C (fan forced) or 200C (normal) oven for 45min- 1 hr. the quiche is done once the egg is set firm but still has a wobble to it.

Easy Pancakes!

the hardest part about making this is the patience it takes to stand there and cook them! half the time im in so much of a hunger frenzy i eat these half cooked! dont worry, ive always liked half cooked pancakes since i was a kid, its just a totally different experience.

What you need:

2 eggs
2 cups of Self Raising Flour
4 tablespoons of melted butter
6 tablespoons of sugar
1- 1 and 1/2 cup of milk (this makes the batter quite runny but it works well)

step 1: place egg, sugar and flour in a bowl. melt butter.

step 2: add melted butter and 1 cup of milk and whisk until smooth. if you need more milk because the batter is too thick add the other half cup.

step 3: pour small amounts of batter onto a greased pan. cook until bubbles form. flip and cook until firm.


i mix this recipe up quite a lot. you can add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 cup of choc chips to the batter to make choc pancakes (with this one you need the extra milk and omit some sugar). mix a mashed banana, a tablespoon of honey and some coconut into the batter for scrummy coco-nana pancakes (you will also need the extra milk or even add some chopped berries into the mix and serve with ice cream and powdered sugar!! mmmmmm.

Best Philly Dip!

this was a random experiment that turned out awesome! cheap and easy for parties or just the munchies, i always have to make double because you end up wanting more the next day! such a disappointment when theres no left overs to eat.

What you need:

tub of Philly cream cheese (works best with the one that has 60% on the label. the one in the box is too fatty)
1/4- 1/2 cup of sweet chili sauce (depending on how hot you want it and how far you want the dip to spread)
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce (dont use steak sauce for the love of god, just dont!)

step 1: beat the living heck out of the philly until soft. mix all ingredients together to form a pretty ugly goo.

step 2: put goo in a bowl and serve with corn chips.


i dont find this needs any other seasoning due to the BBQ sauce but you can add some pepper, paprika or herbs if you want to play around with the flavours.

Banana Cake

this is a family favourite. passed down from my grandma to my mother and then to me. ive never had this fail on me in all my years of baking.

What you need:

2 cups self raising flour
125gr butter
3 dead bananas
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
milk

step 1: cream sugar and butter together.

step 2: add the bananas and eggs. sift the flour together with the bicarb into the wet mix.

step 3: stir together and add enough milk to make the mix smooth.

step 4: cook in a greased loaf tin in a 180C (fan forced) or 200C (normal oven) for 40mins or until a skewer comes out clean.


this goes really well with a simple lemon butter icing. and a nice cup of hot chocolate in winter!! for a bit of a shake up, throw some chopped up walnuts into the mix!!

Hide and Seek Pasta Bake

a favourite in my household and a good way to hide vegetables in dishes!! good for kids or for grumpy boyfriends who dont like the taste of certain veges!

What you need:

Penne pasta (doesnt matter as long as its not a spaghetti type pasta)
60gr butter
200gr bacon diced
2 cups of low fat milk
80gr plain flour
grated parmesan cheese
pumpkin
spinach shredded
mushrooms diced

step 1: boil the pasta. drain and set aside in a oven proof dish. boil and mash the pumpkin.

step 2: cook the bacon and the mushrooms in the butter. add the plain flour to make a roue. add the milk slowly to form a paste, then a sauce. once the sauce is thickened add the mashed pumpkin and stir in the spinach to wilt it.

step 3: mix the sauce/vege mix into the pasta. sprinkle the grated parmesan onto the top of the pasta making sure that all the pasta is below the surface of the sauce to stop it burning.

step 4: put dish into a 180C (fan forced) or 200C (normal oven) oven for 20min or until the bake has set and the parmesan has browned.


you can add garlic or onions to this but im allergic so i leave them out. ive also made this with tomato slices but finding a root vege that goes with the taste of tomato is pretty hard as potatoes dont work in this dish. if using a vegetable with a lot of water content you will have to either add more flour to make a thicker sauce or omit some milk.

Sticky Chicken

This is my asian inspired sticky chicken! good if you have a lot of time on your hands because its a slow cook but its well worth it in the end!

What you need:
(i'll give the details for 8 drumsticks, add more or omit if you have less chicken)

8 drumsticks skin removed
1/2 cup of ketchip manis (sweet soy)
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of sweet chili sauce
1 cup of light soy sauce (must be light or you'll die from salt intake at the end of cooking!)
1 cup of water
oil

step 1: brown the chicken in the oil over a low heat in a pan on the stove. pan must be deep enough to contain all the liquid during cooking.

step 2: once chicken is lightly browned but not cooked, add all the other ingredients and mix well. bring to a slow simmer.

step 3: chicken is done once it is cooked and falls off the bone. remember to turn the chicken in the liquid to coat it as its cooking. if the liquid sticks to the pan and starts to burn before the chicken is ready, add some more water.

if you want to you can use this mix as a marinade and marinade the chicken before they go into the pan if you want a faster cook. it also goes very well as a marinade for steak but not for the bbq as it sticks and is insanely hard to clean off due to the sugar in the ketchip manis, chili sauce and honey..

Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup gets me going again after a hard day arting around. Best served in large servings cause small ones just arent enough!

What you need:
(serves 4-6 people depending on serving size)

4 large carrots diced roughly
2L salt reduced chicken stock
500gr mushrooms roughly chopped
4-5 chicken thighs roughly chopped
chili powder
olive oil
parsley and chives (works best with the packet spices)
pepper
light soy sauce
spaghetti pasta

step 1: fry the carrots in the olive oil until they have a nice crispy brown edging (this gives the soup a nice roasted carrot flavour without cooking them too much). next toss in the mushrooms.

step 2: add the stock and bring to a slow boil. after about 10mins add the chicken thighs, chili powder to taste, pepper and about a tablespoon each of the chives and parsley.

step 3: after 10 min, break the spaghetti into tiny pieces and add to the mix. add soy sauce to taste.

step 4: wait till spaghetti is cooked and then enjoy!! adjust the soy/chili mix to whatever you feel is necessary at the end.


this soup freezes well but if you intend on doing that leave out the pasta as it goes horrible when reheated. just boil some pasta and then add the frozen soup to the pot and theres an instant meal all heated through!!

add more vegetables if you want but this recipe makes a nice clearish soup without the mess left by celery or root vegetables.