ALMDATE SLICE

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C Chop 250gm of pitted dates. Add 1 cup of slivered almonds . Add 1 cup of icing sugar , 2 well beaten eggs ,1/2 tsp of salt ,1 tbs of rice bran oil ,1 tbs of lemon juice and 3/4 tsp of ground nutmeg . Mix well . Spread in a lightly greased 9" square pan . Bake at 180 deg C for 20 minutes . Cool slightly , then slice into squares and dust with icing sugar .

THE CROCK POT / SLOW COOKER

I have 2 slow cookers , a medium sized one and a large one .I use them all the time . They are long lasting , my medium sized crock pot is the originial Monier crock pot that I gifted my mum on her 40 th birthday , that was 50 years ago . I love slow cookers , I roast chickens in them and prepre desserts in them . Slow cookers are so versatile . There is something so special to walking in to your house after a day away , to a simmering 1 pot meal ready to serve . BUT .... there is a problem with slow cookers .... it is the people who own them .!!! I'm the problem ... When I'm home and have something cooking in the slow cooker .......I lift the lid . There is no need to lift the lid . But I want to taste the flavours . Seriously there is no need to lift the lid I can smell the aromas , I dont need to taste . Each time I lift the lid on my slow cooker , I am reducing the temperature which will change the cooking time . Everytime you lift the lid and taste , add the time spent with the lid off to the cooking time. Hey , I'm not perfect .

CAULIFLOWER AND CHEESE SOUP

Place 1 medium sized cauliflower , cut into florets and 1 onion peeled and sliced into the bowl of your slow cooker ( medium sized ). Add 650 ml of vegetable or chicken stock . Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or 5-6 hours on low . After that time puree with a hand held blender Now stir through 3/4 cup of cooking cream and 1/2 cup of grated cheese . Garnish with chopped chives and serve with crispy toast . This is delicious .

SAUSAGE AND CHICKPEA CASSEROLE ...

You will need 8 thick sausages and add them to a pan with 1 tbs of rice bran oil . Brown the sausages and cook through . Remove from the pan and set aside . Add 1 peeled and sliced onion to the pan and cook until the onion is tender . Stir in 1 tsp of ground paprika , 1 x 400gm can of diced tomatoes , 1 x 400gm can of drained chick peas , season with cracked black pepper . Stir through 150 ml of vegetable stock and 1/2 cup of freshly chopped coriander . Now add the sausages , sliced on an angle . Simmer for 15 minutes . Serve with crusty bread .

EGG- CELLENT TIPS

Eggs are ideal for making omellttes , adding to salads , to thicken sweet corn and chicken soup . Adding eggs to fried rice makes it a high protein meal . To extend leftover creamy pasta , top with fresh rocket leaves and poached eggs . Flavour scrambled eggs with 125 gm can of creamed corn and 1 cup of chopped baby spinach leaves . Serve with buttered toast and sliced tomatoes and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese . Always use eggs at room temperature . Eggs approaching their use by date are perfect for baking cakes , quiches and frittatas , while fresh eggs are best for frying and poaching . Eggs that are only a few days old are best for hard boiling , as the shell is easier to remove .

BAKED EGGS AND BEANS

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Heat a large pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil over a medium heat . Slice 100gm of chorizo sausage into the pan and cook till the sausage starts to brown . Add 2 tbs of minced garlic , 800 gm can of diced tomatoes ,1 tbs of red wine vinegar and 1 tsp of dried oregano . Continue to simmer for 4 minutes , stirring constantly . Now stir through 400gm can of cannellini beans ( drained ). Make 4 4 small indents in the surface . Crack an egg into each indent , scatter with deseeded black olives . bake in the oven until the yolks are set and runny . Garnish with basil leaves .

LEMON MERINGUE

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C I used a 9"frozen commercial pie crust from IGA . Follow the directions on the packaging for the pie crust . To prepare the filling ...... First separate 4 eggs , beat the eggs yolks well and set aside . Use a medium saucepan place together 1 cup of castor sugar , 2 tbs of plain flour ,1/2 cup of cornflour , a pinch of salt ,1/2 cup of cornflour , 1 dsp of grated lemon rind , 1 and 1/2 cups of water ,3/4 cup of lemon juice . Stir until smooth , over a medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens . Add 60 m of marg / butter and stir through until melted . Remove from the heat quickly and add the well beaten egg yolks , whisk until well combined . Pour the filling into your pie base . Now place the 4 egg whites into dry bowl and using an electric beater , beat until soft peaks form . Add 1/2 cup of castor sugar ( 1 dsp @ a time ), until mixture is thick and glossy and sugar is dissolved . NB ... lightly sprinkle the filling with a little fine polenta , so the egg whites have something to cling to over the lemon filing . Spread the lemon filling over , I add the filling in dsp dobs and then swirl over with a fork . Bake for 6 minutes .

PEPERONATA

You will need to 2 red and 2 yellow capsicums , halving them lengthways , remove the stems, seeds and membranes . Slice the capsicums lengthways into strips . Peel 450gm of 'all rounder ' potatoes , cut into slices . Peel and slice 1 onion lengthwise into 8 wedges . Heat 2 tbs of rice bran oil in a large open pan over a medium heat . Add the onion and cook till the onion starts to brown . Now add the sliced capsicums and potatoes , 2 small courgettes diced ,50 gm of black pitted olives ,6 torn basil leaves . Season with a little salt and cracked black pepper and 2 tbs of minced garlic . Stir the mixture , cover and place in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still holding their shape. Transfer to serving bowls , garnish with fresh thai basil leaves and serve with chunks of crusty bread .

RICE NUGGETS IN A HERBY TOMATO SAUCE

Pour 600ml of vegetable stock into large saucepan and add 1 bay leaf. Bring the stock to the boil and then add 175 gm of aborio rice and stir . Cover and simmer for 15 minutes , then remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes until the rice is tender and all the stock is absorbed . Stir frequently towards the end of the cooking time . Now rewmove from heat and leave to cool . Once the rice has cooled add 50 gm of grated cheddar cheese , 1 egg yolk lightly beaten , 1 tbs of plain flour and 2 tbs of chopped parsley into the rice . Lightly season with cracked black pepper and salt , then shape into walnut sized balls . Cover and refrigerate . To prepare the herby sauce add 1 tbs of rice bran oil to the cleaned saucepan along with 1 onion , peeled and sliced . Cook till the onion softens. Add 2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 small yellow capsicum trimmed and diced . Finally stir through 1x 400gm can of diced tomatoes and 1 tbs of fresh basil . Add the rice nuggets to the sauce and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutess . Serve into warmed bowls , serve hot and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese .

DAY 3 OF THE POTATO AND FENNEL SOUP ....CHICKEN ,VEGIE WITH RIGATONI

Well it can be done and you can too. Extend one meal into 3 meals and feed 4 . Day 3 , I added a $2 packet of ( boiled and softened ) dried rigatoni to the remaining mix of the potato and fennel , chicken and vegetable soup . Delicious and filling served with buttered bread , torn French stick or sour dough ... Each stage of this recipe can be frozen .

DAY 1 POTATO AND FENNEL SOUP.....DAY 2 .. CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

The potato and fennel soup was delicious , but way too much for one person . I refrigerated the excess potato and fennel soup overnight and today added 750 gm of pre cooked chicken , 500 gm of whole cherry tomatoes , 4 stalks of celery , 1 each of red and green capsicum finely sliced ,125 gm of sliced mushrooms , 150gm of shredded carots , 2 tbs of fish sauce , 50gm of honey . This is amazing .... and would be happy to serve this at The manor ...as a one pot meal , absolutely delicious .

BOUILLABAISSE

Traditionally bouillabaise is made with 8 different fish . I use 1 kg of marinara mix . Place a few saffron threads in a bowl , cover with warm water and leave to infuse for 10 minutes . Heat 3 tbs of rice bran oil in a large saucepan add 2 onions peeled and sliced along with 2 sticks of celery trimmed and sliced , saute for 5 minutes , stirring occasionally . Add 225 gm of soft ripe tomatoes ( flesh only ), 1 bay leaf , a bouquet garni and stir until lightly coated . A packet of bouquet garni can be purchased in the spice section of your supermarket , they come in packets of 4 sachets containing a mix of parsley , bay leaves ,thyme , sage and marjoram . Now I place the the thick fish portions of the marinara mix over the the tomatoes and pour in the saffron infused water and enough water to just cover . Bring this to the boil and partially cover with a lid and cook for 8 minutes . At this stage you now add the remainder of the marinara mix / soft flesh seafood and continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until all the seafood is cooked . Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper . Remove the bay leaf and bouquet garni and serve in warmed bowls along with French bread .

CREAMY CARIBBEAN CHICKEN AND COCONUT SOUP

Remove and discard any skin or bone from 750 gm of cooked chicken , use 2 forks to shred the meat. Heat a large pan add 1 dsp of rice bran oil ,, add 6 spring onions trimmed and thinly sliced, 1 tbs of minced garlic and finely 1 dsp of chillie flakes (optional ) Continue to cook until the onion has softened . Stir in 1 tsp of ground turmeric. In a large bowl , blend together 300ml of coconut milk with 900 ml of chicken stock until smooth . Pour the blended liquid into the pan , add 50 gm of small soup pasta or pasta broken into small pieces . Add 1/2 lemon sliced . Now bring the contents of the pan to a slow boil ,half covered for 12 minutes or until the pasta is tender , stir occasionally . Remove the lemon slices from the pan and add the chicken pieces . Seaon to taste with salt and cracked black pepper , continue to simmer until the chicken is heated through . Sir through 2 tbs of chopped coriander or 1 tbs of dried coriander . Serve in warmed bowls .

A SCOTTISH TRADITION ...CULLEN SKINK

Cullen skink is a famous ,traditional soup that is made with smoked haddock . The name of the soup comes from Cullen , a small town in the northeast of Scotland . Skink is a Scottish term for a knuckle or a hough of beef , but in hard economic times when people could not find scraps of beef , they used fish which was easier to come by and smoked haddock could be found easily ....so meat based stews transformed into fish based soups and the name skink remained . I spent 15 wonderful years learning the basics of cooking from a wonderful , generous home cook , Jessie Mersey .. never forgotten . Ok , melt 25 gm of marg / butter in a large pan . add 1 onion , peeled and chopped , saute for 3 minutes , stirring continuously . Add 1 bay leaf and sprinkle 25 gm of plain flour and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes ... contiuing to stir . Add 500gm of potatoes ' all rounders' , scrubbed and cubed . Now remove the pan from the heat , stir in 600ml of water and 300 ml of water . Return the pot to the heat and bring to the boil , stirring . Reduce the heat and simmer and cook for 10 minutes . Add 350 gm of skinned and smoked haddock fillet sliced into small pieces . Now add 75 gm of sweet corn kernels and 50 gm of baby peas . Cover and cook gently , stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the vegetables and fish are cooked . Add cracked pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg . Now stir in 3 tbs of cream and gently heat until piping hot . Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with really crusty torn bread .

FENNEL AND POTATO SOUP .

Melt 40 gm of butter in a large saucepan . Add 2 large onions peeled and thinly sliced along with tbs of minced garlic and a 1/4 tsp of salt . Peel and dice 1 kg of 'all rounder'potatoes to the onion mixture . Add 1 large fennel bulb ( or 2 small fennel bulbs ) , trimmed and finely chopped , 1 tsp of caraway seeds . Cook for 5 minutes and then add 1 litre of vegetable stock and 2 tbs of soy sauce . Bring to the boil and partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes . Allow to cooland then use a stick blender to blend until smooth . Stir through chopped parsley and season with cracked pepper . Reheat the soup gently and ladle into warmed bowls , swirl with a spoonful of creme fraiche and serve with torn pieces of sourdough bread .

CREAMY VEGETABLE KORMA

Heat 2 tbs of ghee in a large saucepan , add 1 peeled and sliced onion , cook till the onion softens . Stir in 2 tbs of minced garlic and 1 tbs of minced ginger . Add 4 cracked cardamon pods and 1 dsp of ground coriander , 1 tsp of ground cumin ,1 tsp of ground turmeric . Continue cooking over a low heat , stirring for 1 minute . Stir in the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon along with 50 gm of almond meal , slowly blend in 500 ml of vegetable stock , stirring occasionaly until simmering . Add 500 gm of peeled and diced potatoes plus 450 gm of your favourite vegetables , such as cauliflower , carrots , parsnips , turnips .( you could cheat and add 500 gm of frozen mixed vegetables ) . Bring the mixture back to the boil and then reduce the heat until just simmering cook until the vegetables are tender . Stir in 200 ml of cream and chopped coriander , cracked black pepper and salt to taste . Cook gently until heated but do not boil . Serve with nachos , crusty bread or naan bread .

PARSNIP TATIN

Parsnips raraely get a mention in the favourite vegetable section. I love all vegetables and parsnips up there on my list . Seriously give this a go ... Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Heat 50 gm of butter / marg in a small 20 cm fry pan . You will need 8 small parsnips peeled and halved . Add the parsnips to the pan arranging them cut side down in the pan with the narrow ends towards the centre . Sprinkle the parsnips with 1 tbs of soft brown sugar , add 75 ml of apple juice and bring to a slow boil . Then remove the pan from the heat . Now position one square of shortcrust pastry over the parsnips in the pan and press down lightly to enclose them . Place the pan in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden . Remove from the oven and place a serving dish over the top and flip the tart onto the plate. Crumble a handful of feta cheese over and serve as a side dish or on its own with a baby spinch leaf salad .

SWEET AND SOUR RICE WITH CHICKEN

Trim 4 spring onions and slice into thin strips , drop into cold water and set aside . Mix together 1 dsp of sesame oil with 1 tsp of Chinese five spice powder .... Five spice powder is a mixture of ground star anise , fennel ,cinnamon , cloves and szechuan peppers , it adds a sweet and spicy aniseed flavour to your dishes . Rub the oil and spice powder into the 450 gm of skinless chicken breasts . Now cut the chicken breasts into small pieces ...set aside Hea you pan over a medium heat with 1 tbs of rice bran oil , add 1 tbs of minced garlic and 1 red onion , peeled and sliced into wedges , cook until the onion has softened . Ok it's now time to add to chicken pieces and cook until the chicken is golden and cooked through . Remove the chicken from the pan to an oven proof dish , cover with a sheet of foil and place in a warm preheated oven 160 deg C. Add 225 gm of rice ( brown or white ) to the pan along with 600ml of water , 4 tbs of tomato sauce ,2 tbs of honey ,1 carrot sliced into matchsticks ,1 tbs of apple cider vinegar and finally 1 tbs of soy sauce . Return the chicken to the pan Bring this mixture to the boil and simmer until almost of the liquid is absorbed . Divide and spoon into individual warmed serving dishes . Drain the spring onions and place on top . Serve immediately .

MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION...CHOCOLATE NUT TORTE

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper and draw a 20 cm circle on each . Beat 5 egg whites until stiff peaks form ,gradually add 1 cup of castor sugar ..1 dsp at a time ,beat for 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved .... DO NOT RUSH THIS PROCESS . Sift together 1/3 cup of Dutch cocoa with 1/3 rd cup icing sugar. Now fold into the stiff egg mixture , adding 1 cup of almond meal . Place 1/4 of the mixture in the centre of each circle, spread out evenly to the edges . Bake for 30 minutes . Cool on wire racks . BUTTER CREAM ..... Beat 200gm of butter/marg with 3/4 cup of icing sugar together for 15 minutes , until the mixture is light and creamy . Melt 125 gm of good chocolate in the microwave , slowly beat into the butter cream . In a separate bowl whip 300ml of cream until thickened . Now that the meringues are completely cold , spread a layer of the chocolate cream over each layer . Top with cream . Stack one layer on top of the other on a serving plate , coat the top with remaining butter cream and a little grated chocolate . Happy Mother's Day .... So simple and delicious , you can do this !!

GINGER CHICKEN WITH ASIAN GREENS

Slice 1 carrot into long strips . Heat a pan with 1 dsp of peanut oil over a medium heat . Add 1/3 rd cup of whole cashews, stir fry for 2 minutes . Remove the cashews to a small bowl and set aside . Add another dsp of peanut oil to the pan and add 500 gm of chicken strips , stir fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned . Add another dsp of peanut oil along with 1 tbs of minced ginger , 1 onion sliced into thin edges , 1 thinly sliced green capsicum , 1 x 425 gm can of baby corn drained .and 1 small baby bok choy thinly sliced . Now pour over 150 ml of sweet soy sauce and stir fry for 5 minutes , until the bok choy is wilted and heated through . Finally stir through the cashews and 100gm packet of fried noodles . Simply delicious .

PARTY PIES ALL DRESSED UP .

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . I used commercial brand party pies . I smeared some of my tart tomato relish over an ovenproof dish ,scattered the dish with baby spinach leaves . Placed the party pies over the spinach leaves . Placed a baby boccachini ball on top with a cherry tomato. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese ball has melted and the pie has heated through . Remove from the oven and drizzle with barbeque sauce ... Looks really classy and tastes delicious .