Funny chocolate biscuits

Preparation time:10 mins
Cooking time:20 mins
Makes:22

You and the kids will have a ball making these chocolate biscuits with lolly faces.

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup Milk Choc Bits
230g packet Dark Choc Melts, melted
48g packet Cake Mate face decorations
Assorted lollies, to decorate

Method

1. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined between each addition. Fold in combined sifted flour and baking powder. Stir in Choc Bits. Mix well.
2. Roll heaped tblsps of mixture into balls. Place about 6cm apart on baking paper lined oven trays.
3. Cook in a hot oven (200C) for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Stand biscuits on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
4. Dip tops of biscuits into melted dark chocolate. Create faces using face decorations and assorted lollies. Stand biscuits until chocolate is set.

Notes

Decorated biscuits can be made up to three days ahead. Store in an airtight container.

Spaghetti and Cheese Slice

Preparation time  : 15 mins
Cooking time : 30 mins
Serves : 6-8

This slice makes a great alternative to a sandwich.

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray
125g egg vermicelli pasta
5 eggs
310g can corn kernels, drained
1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
2 cups grated tasty cheese
Green oak lettuce leaves, to serve

Method

1. Spray a shallow 28cm-round ovenproof flan dish with oil.

2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until almost tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well.

3. Place eggs in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir in corn kernels, capsicum, pasta and half of the grated cheese.

4. Pour mixture evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

5. Cook, uncovered, in a moderate oven (180C) for 30 minutes, or until just set and golden. Cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to pack.

6. Cut spaghetti slice into wedges and pack into lunch box with lettuce leaves.

Chicken Schnitzel Skewers

Preparation time : 20 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins
Serves : 4

Jazz up chicken schnitzel with this recipe from New Idea's Barbara North wood

Ingredients

800g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
1 / 2 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 wooden skewers
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
Green salad and lemon wedges, to serve

SCHNITZEL COATING
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
3 / 4 cup seasoned stuffing mix
1 / 2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

CORN RELISH
250g jar corn relish
2 tblsps sweet chilli sauce
2 tblsps chopped fresh chives
1 tblsp white wine vinegar

Method

1. To make coating, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Toss chicken pieces in flour, shake off excess. Dip in eggs, then toss in schnitzel, coating. Thread chicken onto skewers.
3. To make corn relish, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. In two batches, cook skewers over a medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
5. Serve skewers on a green salad with corn relish and lemon wedges.

Notes

For more great recipes check out the latest issue of New Idea - on sale now!

 

Citrus Cheesecake

Preparation time  : 10 mins
Cooking time      : 50 mins
Serves                : 6-8  
A healthy cheesecake recipe that won't make you feel guilty!

Ingredients

2 x 250g blocks light cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup low-fat vanilla yoghurt
½ cup CSR Smart White Sugar Blend
2 eggs
2 tsps finely grated lemon rind
2 tsps finely grated orange rind
Orange segments, to decorate

Method

1 Grease a 20cm springform cake pan (base measures 18cm). Line base and side with baking paper. Place on an oven tray.
2 Place the cream cheese, yoghurt, sugar, eggs and lemon and orange rind in a food processor. Process mixture until smooth. Pour into prepared cake pan.
3 Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for 50 minutes, or until just set. Mixture should have a slight wobble and will set on standing. Turn off oven. Cool cheesecake in oven with door ajar. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
4 To serve, remove the side from the pan and slide cheesecake onto a serving plate. Decorate the top with orange segments.

Choc banana croissants

Preparation time    : 10 mins
Cooking time        : 5 mins
Makes                  : 4


The kids will go bananas for these chocolate croissants!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

4 croissants
1 large banana, halved
50g milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/4 cup sultanas
Extra 100g milk chocolate, chopped
Milk, to serve

Method

1 Using a small, serrated knife, cut croissants horizontally in half, leaving attached on one side. Place on an oven tray.
2 Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove.
3 Peel banana and place in a bowl. Roughly mash. Add chocolate, apricots and sultanas. Stir to combine ingredients.
4 Spoon banana mixture evenly onto one half of each croissant. Fold top over filling to enclose.
5 Place extra chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Spoon into a small snap-lock bag. Squeeze into one corner. Twist bag and snip tip with kitchen scissors. Pipe over croissants.
6 Serve croissants with milk.

Notes

■ Other chopped dried fruits can be substituted for apricots and sultanas.
■ Try making the filling and sandwiching it between two pieces of bread. Then cook in a sandwich press until the chocolate has melted. Yum!
■ You can also make a delicious dessert by folding the filling through slightly softened vanilla ice-cream. Freeze until firm. Scoop into bowls. Drizzle with warm melted chocolate.

spicy broad bean fritters with lemon minted yoghurt

Ingredients

• 1kg fresh broad beans, in their pods (about 300g podded weight) or 500g defrosted broad beans, skinned
• 6 sprigs of fresh coriander
• a small bunch of fresh mint
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 level teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ a fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
• 1 litre vegetable oil
optional: a small piece of potato, peeled
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• a few handfuls of mixed crunchy salad leaves, washed and spun dry
• extra virgin olive oil
pickled chillies, to serve

Method

These fritters make a delicious snack. They not only taste awesome but they look amazing – dark and crunchy on the outside, bright green and soft inside! They’re simple to make, and the spiciness just makes them work. This dish is best made with early season, fresh-as-a-daisy, pastel-green broad beans. Or you can use frozen broad beans – simply defrost them and pinch off their skins.Boil any larger white-skinned broad beans for 30 seconds, then drain. When cool, pinch their skins off – they’ll taste less bitter if you do this. Now whiz the coriander and half the mint in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, then add the spices, chilli, broad beans and lemon zest and whiz until finely chopped (stopping once or twice to scrape the mixture off the sides). Sprinkle in the flour and pulse for a few seconds. Don’t add any more flour or the mixture will become too dry.Get a large saucepan and pour in the vegetable oil till it’s 5 to 7cm deep. Be careful – keep kids and pets away, and make sure the handle isn’t sticking out so you don’t accidentally catch it and spill the hot oil. Heat the oil. To check whether it’s hot enough for frying, drop in the piece of potato – as soon as sizzles and floats to the top, you’re in business. Remove the potato and discard it.Cover a plate with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Scoop up a small amount of the broad bean mixture and either use your hands or two spoons to shape it into little rounds, then put them on to the plate. When they’re all done, carefully lower one of them into the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. When you’re got the hang of it, fry the rest of them – they should all fit into the pan at the same time but, if not, simply do batches.For your lemon minted yoghurt, squeeze half the lemon juice into the yoghurt. Pick and chop the rest of your mint leaves and stir them in, adding salt and pepper to taste. Dress your salad leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice and some olive oil. Sprinkle the fritters with salt and serve with the lemon minted yoghurt, the dressed salad leaves and some pickled chillies.• from Jamie at Home These fritters make a delicious snack. They not only taste awesome but they look amazing – dark and crunchy on the outside, bright green and soft inside! They’re simple to make, and the spiciness just makes them work. This dish is best made with early season, fresh-as-a-daisy, pastel-green broad beans. Or you can use frozen broad beans – simply defrost them and pinch off their skins.

Boil any larger white-skinned broad beans for 30 seconds, then drain. When cool, pinch their skins off – they’ll taste less bitter if you do this. Now whiz the coriander and half the mint in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, then add the spices, chilli, broad beans and lemon zest and whiz until finely chopped (stopping once or twice to scrape the mixture off the sides). Sprinkle in the flour and pulse for a few seconds. Don’t add any more flour or the mixture will become too dry.

Get a large saucepan and pour in the vegetable oil till it’s 5 to 7cm deep. Be careful – keep kids and pets away, and make sure the handle isn’t sticking out so you don’t accidentally catch it and spill the hot oil. Heat the oil. To check whether it’s hot enough for frying, drop in the piece of potato – as soon as sizzles and floats to the top, you’re in business. Remove the potato and discard it.

Cover a plate with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Scoop up a small amount of the broad bean mixture and either use your hands or two spoons to shape it into little rounds, then put them on to the plate. When they’re all done, carefully lower one of them into the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. When you’re got the hang of it, fry the rest of them – they should all fit into the pan at the same time but, if not, simply do batches.

For your lemon minted yoghurt, squeeze half the lemon juice into the yoghurt. Pick and chop the rest of your mint leaves and stir them in, adding salt and pepper to taste. Dress your salad leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice and some olive oil. Sprinkle the fritters with salt and serve with the lemon minted yoghurt, the dressed salad leaves and some pickled chillies.

vegetable bhaji salad

Ingredients

• 75g chickpea flour
• 75g plain four
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika or chilli powder
• 1/2 level teaspoon of salt
• 1 small cucumber
• 50ml soured cream
a small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves chopped
• 2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 leek
• 2 carrots
• 3 spring onions, trimmed
• 2 red onions
• 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 150ml vegetable oil
mustard seeds
• 100g rocket, washed and spun dry

Method

This is a twist on the onion bhaji you get at your local curry house – great with the soured cream dressing!Put the flours and ground spices in a bowl and slowly pour in 250ml water. Stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk to make a bright yellow batter. Add the salt, then put to one side. Cut the cucumber into long ribbons with a speed peeler and keep to one side. To make a dressing, mix the soured cream with the coriander and the juice of 1 of the lemons. Add a splash of olive oil, season, and put to one side. Cut the leek, carrots, spring onions and red onions into thin strips - try to get them the size of long matchsticks. Mix with the chillies and the ginger. Pour the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and heat until very hot. Mix the vegetables, a little at a time, with some of the batter. Add a pinch of mustard seeds and scoop out a tablespoon of the coated vegetables. Press flat with the back of a fork and carefully drop into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining vegetables - you may have to fry the bhajis in batches. Move them around a little in the hot oil (with a pair of tongs) to make sure they aren't sticking together. Fry for a minute or so on each side until crispy, then drain on kitchen paper. Place some rocket and cucumber ribbons on individual plates, drizzle with the soured cream dressing and top with 2 or 3 bhajis. Serve with the lemon wedges. This is a twist on the onion bhaji you get at your local curry house – great with the soured cream dressing!

Put the flours and ground spices in a bowl and slowly pour in 250ml water. Stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk to make a bright yellow batter. Add the salt, then put to one side.

Cut the cucumber into long ribbons with a speed peeler and keep to one side. To make a dressing, mix the soured cream with the coriander and the juice of 1 of the lemons. Add a splash of olive oil, season, and put to one side.

Cut the leek, carrots, spring onions and red onions into thin strips - try to get them the size of long matchsticks. Mix with the chillies and the ginger.

Pour the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and heat until very hot. Mix the vegetables, a little at a time, with some of the batter. Add a pinch of mustard seeds and scoop out a tablespoon of the coated vegetables. Press flat with the back of a fork and carefully drop into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining vegetables - you may have to fry the bhajis in batches. Move them around a little in the hot oil (with a pair of tongs) to make sure they aren't sticking together. Fry for a minute or so on each side until crispy, then drain on kitchen paper. Place some rocket and cucumber ribbons on individual plates, drizzle with the soured cream dressing and top with 2 or 3 bhajis. Serve with the lemon wedges.

April's rosemary straw potatoes with lemon salt

Ingredients

for the lemon salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons sea salt

sunflower oil
• 800g potatoes, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked

method

My friend April, who’s the chef at the Spotted Pig gastropub in New York, serves these with her famous blue-cheese hamburgers. She calls them shoestring fries, but in classic old-English game cooking they’re called straw potatoes. They’re a pretty common side dish to roasted grouse or partridge, or you might have game chips or pommes gaufrettes (which are comparable to crinkly chips). By cutting the potatoes in this recipe nice and fine – around 0.5cm thick – you can cook them until golden and crisp first-time round in a fryer or large pan of frying oil. For the last 30 seconds, I like to put a nice big handful of rosemary in with them – this will flavour the oil and the potatoes in the most incredible way.A quick word about deep-frying: don’t disregard the importance of being incredibly careful and remember a) not to leave the pan alone as it might catch fire and b) not to leave kids in the same room on their own with the pan.To make your lemon salt, bash and mix together the lemon zest with the salt in a pestle and mortar or Flavour Shaker until the salt is flavoured, coloured and fine. Place in a dish. Use whatever you need straight away or allow it to dry out for a couple of hours before storing it. It might go hard, so just crush it up a bit before putting it into a jam jar.Heat 6–8cm of sunflower oil in a sturdy pan and bring to deep-frying temperature. You can do this by using a thermometer, or by placing a small chunk of potato into the cold oil before you begin to heat it. When the potato is floating and a dark golden brown, the temperature will have reached 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and you’re ready to begin frying (remember to remove the piece of potato before you begin).Pat the julienne strips dry with some kitchen paper to remove any excess starch. Making sure you’ve got a slotted spoon or spider (which is like a flat colander with a handle) and a big pile of kitchen paper to one side, carefully place some of your potatoes into the pan of oil (don’t overcrowd it) for a couple of minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cook the potatoes like this, in batches, until they are all used up. Add the rosemary for the last 30 seconds. Remove the chips and rosemary to the kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, and then dust with your lemon salt. Serve straight away. • from Cook With Jamie My friend April, who’s the chef at the Spotted Pig gastropub in New York, serves these with her famous blue-cheese hamburgers. She calls them shoestring fries, but in classic old-English game cooking they’re called straw potatoes. They’re a pretty common side dish to roasted grouse or partridge, or you might have game chips or pommes gaufrettes (which are comparable to crinkly chips). By cutting the potatoes in this recipe nice and fine – around 0.5cm thick – you can cook them until golden and crisp first-time round in a fryer or large pan of frying oil. For the last 30 seconds, I like to put a nice big handful of rosemary in with them – this will flavour the oil and the potatoes in the most incredible way.

A quick word about deep-frying: don’t disregard the importance of being incredibly careful and remember a) not to leave the pan alone as it might catch fire and b) not to leave kids in the same room on their own with the pan.

To make your lemon salt, bash and mix together the lemon zest with the salt in a pestle and mortar or Flavour Shaker until the salt is flavoured, coloured and fine. Place in a dish. Use whatever you need straight away or allow it to dry out for a couple of hours before storing it. It might go hard, so just crush it up a bit before putting it into a jam jar.

Heat 6–8cm of sunflower oil in a sturdy pan and bring to deep-frying temperature. You can do this by using a thermometer, or by placing a small chunk of potato into the cold oil before you begin to heat it. When the potato is floating and a dark golden brown, the temperature will have reached 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and you’re ready to begin frying (remember to remove the piece of potato before you begin).

Pat the julienne strips dry with some kitchen paper to remove any excess starch. Making sure you’ve got a slotted spoon or spider (which is like a flat colander with a handle) and a big pile of kitchen paper to one side, carefully place some of your potatoes into the pan of oil (don’t overcrowd it) for a couple of minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cook the potatoes like this, in batches, until they are all used up. Add the rosemary for the last 30 seconds. Remove the chips and rosemary to the kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, and then dust with your lemon salt. Serve straight away.

Steamed Asian sea bass in the bag

 

Ingredients

• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1–2 sticks lemon grass, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
• 1–2 red chillies, to taste, seeded and chopped
• a small tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
• a handful of coriander, leaves picked and stalks reserved, plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1 lime, zested and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 nice thick fillets of sea bass – about 200g each
• 1 egg white
• a small wine glass of sake

Method

This is one of the most heavenly and taste-zapping dishes ever. Even though with a lot of these types of recipes you can chuck the marinade ingredients into a food processor, you don’t get the same effect as when you bash them up in a pestle and mortar. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems to bruise a peculiar sweet flavour out of the ingredients. Anyway, try this and I promise you’ll be making it for the rest of your life. Feel free to use different white fish but sea bass is the best.Preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.Take the top shelf out of the oven and place a baking tray on the middle shelf.Tear off a metre of kitchen foil. Fold it in half so it’s double thickness, then fold it in half again. You should end up with what looks like a big, foil birthday card. Make two of these then lay them opened and flat on your table. Each foil wrap will hold one piece of fish – you can do a big one for four or a slightly smaller version for two.In a pestle and mortar, bash your lime leaves until they break down and all the flavour comes out. Then add the lemon grass and do the same again. Do this for a couple of minutes... it’s worth every second. Then add the garlic, chilli, grated ginger and all of the coriander stalks. Once this is all smashed to a pulp, add the soy sauce, the lime zest and juice and the olive old. Mix well, then taste and correct the seasoning with extra soy sauce as you see fit.Lightly score the sea bass on the skin side with a sharp knife and then rub them with the lime-ginger-lemon grass mix. Allow to marinate for an hour, if you have time, or you can cook it all straight away.Lightly brush the foil edges with a little beaten egg white – this helps to seal the parcel when you fold it up and keeps all the flavoured steam inside to cook the fish.Put the portions of sea bass, skin-side up on one side of each envelope. Divide the marinade and all the juice between the two packages and tuck some coriander into the slits of each piece of fish. Fold over the foil, then fold up two sides of the envelopes securely (see page 62). Just before you seal the final side of the foil bags, divide the sake between the two envelopes, taking care so that it doesn’t dribble out. Pucker and bend the folded sides up so that the juices can’t cook out. Don’t fold the foil right up to the edge of the fish – leave about 2 inches (5 cm) of space all round the fillets to let the steam circulate.I know all this sounds like a bit of a palaver, but it’s actually dead simple.Place straight on to the hot tray and cook for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once cooked, allow to sit for 2–3 minutes. Serve the bags at the table – just cut them open and carefully lift out the fish. You can spoon the juices over it (but don’t eat the bits from the marinade as they’re really only there for flavour).I like to serve this with a bowl of coriander-flavoured rice or noodles, cooked simply. You’re going to love it. This is one of the most heavenly and taste-zapping dishes ever. Even though with a lot of these types of recipes you can chuck the marinade ingredients into a food processor, you don’t get the same effect as when you bash them up in a pestle and mortar. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems to bruise a peculiar sweet flavour out of the ingredients. Anyway, try this and I promise you’ll be making it for the rest of your life. Feel free to use different white fish but sea bass is the best.

Preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.

Take the top shelf out of the oven and place a baking tray on the middle shelf.

Tear off a metre of kitchen foil. Fold it in half so it’s double thickness, then fold it in half again. You should end up with what looks like a big, foil birthday card. Make two of these then lay them opened and flat on your table. Each foil wrap will hold one piece of fish – you can do a big one for four or a slightly smaller version for two.

In a pestle and mortar, bash your lime leaves until they break down and all the flavour comes out. Then add the lemon grass and do the same again. Do this for a couple of minutes... it’s worth every second. Then add the garlic, chilli, grated ginger and all of the coriander stalks. Once this is all smashed to a pulp, add the soy sauce, the lime zest and juice and the olive old. Mix well, then taste and correct the seasoning with extra soy sauce as you see fit.

Lightly score the sea bass on the skin side with a sharp knife and then rub them with the lime-ginger-lemon grass mix. Allow to marinate for an hour, if you have time, or you can cook it all straight away.

Lightly brush the foil edges with a little beaten egg white – this helps to seal the parcel when you fold it up and keeps all the flavoured steam inside to cook the fish.

Put the portions of sea bass, skin-side up on one side of each envelope. Divide the marinade and all the juice between the two packages and tuck some coriander into the slits of each piece of fish. Fold over the foil, then fold up two sides of the envelopes securely (see page 62). Just before you seal the final side of the foil bags, divide the sake between the two envelopes, taking care so that it doesn’t dribble out. Pucker and bend the folded sides up so that the juices can’t cook out. Don’t fold the foil right up to the edge of the fish – leave about 2 inches (5 cm) of space all round the fillets to let the steam circulate.

I know all this sounds like a bit of a palaver, but it’s actually dead simple.

Place straight on to the hot tray and cook for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once cooked, allow to sit for 2–3 minutes. Serve the bags at the table – just cut them open and carefully lift out the fish. You can spoon the juices over it (but don’t eat the bits from the marinade as they’re really only there for flavour).

I like to serve this with a bowl of coriander-flavoured rice or noodles, cooked simply. You’re going to love it.

 

Banana pancakes

Ingredients
• 3 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic
• 115g plain flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
• 140ml milk
• a pinch of salt
• 2 knobs of butter
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 4 bananas
• crème fraise, to serve

Method
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Combine the plain flour, baking powder and milk with the egg yolks and mix until it forms a smooth, thick batter. Whisk the whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter – it is now ready to use. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat. Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. Loosen with a spatula and turn or flip the pancake over. Continue frying until golden. Melt the butter and sugar in a separate pan over a low heat until they form a caramel sauce – about 3 minutes. Peel and cut the bananas length ways, add them to the pan and cook gently until they are golden, turning after a few minutes. You might need to alter the cooking time slightly, depending on how ripe your bananas are. Serve them on the pancakes topped with a good spoonful of crème fraise. Separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Combine the plain flour, baking powder and milk with the egg yolks and mix until it forms a smooth, thick batter. Whisk the whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter – it is now ready to use. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat.

Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. Loosen with a spatula and turn or flip the pancake over. Continue frying until golden. Melt the butter and sugar in a separate pan over a low heat until they form a caramel sauce – about 3 minutes.

Peel and cut the bananas length ways, add them to the pan and cook gently until they are golden, turning after a few minutes. You might need to alter the cooking time slightly, depending on how ripe your bananas are. Serve them on the pancakes topped with a good spoonful of crème fraise.

 

Fruity caramel baked apples

Ingredients

• 4 good-sized eating apples
• 50g butter
• 50g brown sugar
• 2 handfuls of dried fruit (chopped apricots, raisins and cherries)
• 1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, chopped
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons runny honey
• 1 x 284ml pot double cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• a pinch of mixed spice
• optional: a splash of brandy or whisky 

Method

Indulge yourself with this delicious dessert. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Carefully remove the core from the apples with a sharp knife or apple corer. Be careful not to split them in half. Place them on a baking tray. Heat the butter and sugar in a small saucepan with the dried fruit, stem ginger and orange zest. Stir until the butter has melted and all the grains of sugar have disappeared. Pour the caramel mixture into the middle of the apples, drizzling any extra mixture over the top along with the honey. Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the double cream with the icing sugar and mixed spice until you have soft peaks. Fold in the brandy or whisky for a bit of a kick if you like. Serve each apple with a big spoonful of whipped cream and any leftover caramel juices from the tray. Tip: Try using seasonal British apples likes Cox’s or Russets. Indulge yourself with this delicious dessert.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Carefully remove the core from the apples with a sharp knife or apple corer. Be careful not to split them in half. Place them on a baking tray.

Heat the butter and sugar in a small saucepan with the dried fruit, stem ginger and orange zest. Stir until the butter has melted and all the grains of sugar have disappeared. Pour the caramel mixture into the middle of the apples, drizzling any extra mixture over the top along with the honey. Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the double cream with the icing sugar and mixed spice until you have soft peaks. Fold in the brandy or whiskey for a bit of a kick if you like.

Serve each apple with a big spoonful of whipped cream and any leftover caramel juices from the tray.

Tip: Try using seasonal British apples likes Cox’s or Russets.

Rocky Road Bites

Preparation time : 15 mins

Serves               : 30

 

For a grown-up version, use luscious dark chocolate and serve in silver paper casses for a touch of class!

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup slivered almonds1/2 x 250g packet plain sweet biscuits
250g packet marshmallows
190g packet strawberries and cream lollies
2 x 375g packets Milk Choc Melts

Method

1. Line 30 holes of three 12-hole muffins pans (1/3-cup capacity) with paper cases.

2. Sprinkle almonds over an oven tray. Cook in a moderately hot oven (190C) for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and cool.

3. Break sweet biscuits into small pieces. Using kitchen scissors, cut marshmallows into quarters. Cut lollies in half.

4. Place Choc Melts in a large heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth.

5. Remove bowl from heat. Add almonds, biscuits, marshmallows and lollies. Stir to coat. Divide mixture evenly among paper cases. Refrigerate until set.

6. Store rocky road bites in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Mexican Mince

Preparation time : 30 mins

Cooking time      :10 mins

Serves                : 4

 

Ingredients

1 tblsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
750g beef mince
35g packet taco seasoning mix
375g jar chunky salsa
420g can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriande
Heated corn tortillas and steamed rice, to serve
Fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft. Add mince and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes, or until browned all over and cooked through. Stir in seasoning and cook for 1 minute.

2. Stir in salsa, beans, stock and paste. Bring to boil and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Stir in coriander.

3. Serve mince with tortillas and steamed rice with coriander.

 

Notes

For an extra treat, serve mince topped with sour cream and store-bought capsicum salsa.

 

Chocolate and chestnut tart with rhubarb ice-cream

To finish your dinner party with a flourish, dish up this luscious chocolate tart with rhubarb ice-cream.

Ingredients

250g dark chocolate,
70 per cent cocoa
250g unsalted butter
300ml milk
150g chestnut puree
4 eggs, separated

100g caster sugar

Rhubarb ice-cream
400g rhubarb stalks,
roughly chopped
90g sugar
3 egg yolks
2 tsps icing sugar
200ml whipping cream
200ml pouring cream
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Method

1 Preheat oven to 180C. Melt chocolate and butter together over double boiler.

2 In a saucepan over a medium heat, heat the milk and chestnut puree.

3 In a mixing bowl add the yolks and mix with caster sugar. Stir in the chocolate mixture and the chestnut puree until you have a smooth batter.

4 Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter. Transfer the mixture to a greased and lined 25cm cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, until it is just set but still has a slight wobble.

5 Combine rhubarb, sugar and 1 tblsp of water in a saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the rhubarb releases its juices – about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool and blend into a puree.

6 Whisk egg yolks with the icing sugar until pale and frothy. Fold in the creams and vanilla seeds and the cooled rhubarb puree. Place in the fridge for a few hours until completely cool.

7 Churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then place in the freezer in a non-reactive bowl with a lid to set.

Sweet Tandoori Chicken Wraps

Preparation time  : 15 mins

Serves                 : 8

 

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 tsps tandoori curry paste
1/4 cup natural yoghurt
1/4 cup sweet mango chutney
2 carrots
8 bread wraps
80g mixed lettuce leaves

Method

1 Place chicken, paste, yoghurt and chutney in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

2 Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrots lengthways into long, thin strips.

3 To assemble, divide chicken mixture evenly among middle of wraps. Top with carrots and lettuce. Roll up tightly to enclose. Cut rolls in half. Tie with thick strips of baking paper.

Notes

■ We used Mission Wraps in Sundried Tomato Basil and Garden Spinach Herb flavours. You can also use Lebanese bread, tortillas or mountain bread. You’ll need about 1 barbecued chicken for this recipe. Simply remove the skin and bones and shred meat.