APPLE AND MINT GRANITA.

This is so cool and refreshing.. Ingredients......250ml of apple juice, 1 tsp of lemon juice, 110gm of castor sugar, 1 tsp of thinly sliced mint leaves. Place the apple juice, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan, heat over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Stir through the mint, place in a shallow metal container in your freezer for 4 hours or until set. Scrape with a fork into a serving dish or glasses.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

This one is for you Michelle.... Ingredients.....12 pitted dates, 1 tbs of cocoa, 2 tbs of crunchy peanut butter, 90gm of granulated nuts, 2 tbs of honey or to taste. Line a tray with baking paper. Place the dates, cocoa powder and peanut butter in a food processor and process until a thick paste forms. Now add the granulated nuts continue to proces, adding the honey until you have a rollable consistency. Using damp hands, roll into balls of a desirable size and place on the lined tray. Place the tray with the peanut butter balls in your refrigerator until set. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Enjoy !!!

PARMESAN ZUCCHINI CRISPS .

Ingredients.....2 zucchini , sliced, 1 tbs of canola/ rice bran oil, 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper. Preheat your oven to 200deg C. Line a baking tray/ oven sheet with baking paper. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and pepper. Dip each zucchini round into the Parmesan mixture, coating evenly on both sides. Place the coated zucchini in a single layer on the lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 -25 minutes or until brown and crispy. Serve imeediately.

YOGHURT MUSELI SLICE.

Ingredients... 2 eggs lightly beaten, 3 tbs of 'All Bran", 500gm of Greek yoghurt, 2 cups of a 'commercial' toasted muesli, 1 cup of sultanas... just saying I use my favourite fruit flavoured yoghurt. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a slice pan with baking paper. Combine the beaten eggs with all the other ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool and cut into squares. The slice can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, trust me it will last that long.

STRAWBERRY JAM.

Right from the start ... I confess, I am a convert, I do cream served with jam on top!!! It's the only way. This is the classic fragrant strawberry preserve for you to make, which can can served as a jam or stirred through plain yoghurt for breakfast, and really easy if this is your first attempt at jam. Ingredients....1 kg of strawberries, 900gm of castor sugar, juice of 2 lemons. First hull the strawberries( remove the green bits), and layer the strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave overnight on your bench. The next day pour the strawberries and juice into a large pan, add the lemon juice. Gradually bring to the boil and boil for 20 minutes. Then remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir the jam before pouring into sterilised jars, filling them to the top. Cover with disks of baking paper, do not seal with lids until the jam is completely cold. Great way to preserve summer in a jar.

HERB PICKLED ZUCCHINI

It's that time of the year...time to get pickling! Ingredients.....3 garlic cloves, halved, 10 peppercorns, 4 zucchini, sliced into half moons, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped, 1/4 cup of fresh dill, chopped, 1 tbs of chives, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 1 tbs of coriander seeds, 750 ml of boiling water, 2 tbs of olive oil, 125ml of white vinegar, 70gm of castor sugar, 1 tbs of sea salt. Place the garlic and peppercorns in the bottom of a large glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Pack the jar tightly with thew zucchini, herbs and coriander seeds. Combine the hot water, olive oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir well until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Allow to cool slightly and then pour over the zucchini. Sea; the jar with the lid and set aside for 24 hours at room temperature. Once opened store in the refrigerator.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Ingredients.....1 cup of butter/ marg, at room temp, 2/3rds cup of castor sugar, 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 2 and 1/3rd cups of plain flour, 1/4 tsp of salt, icing sugar for sprinkling, fruit jam of your choice/ nutella or lemon curd. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Cream the butter/ marg in the bowl of your electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the castor sugat and increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Now add the lightly beaten egg yolks and the vanilla extract and beat well to combine. Mix the flour and salt together and add to the creamed mixture, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours. Roll the dough into 1" balls and place about 2" apart on the baking sheets. Press your thumb in each ball leaving an indentation. bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool the cookies on wire racks. To finish sprinkle the cookies with icing sugar and place 1/2 tsp of jam of your choice, Nutella or lemon curd in each cookie indentation.