HONEY RICE BUBBLES CAKE.

Ingredients....80 gm of butter / marg, 3 eggs, 2/3 rds of a cup of castor sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 2 tbs of thickened cream, 1 cup of plain flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder. Honey rice bubbles topping......30 gm of copha, 1/3 rd of a cup of castor sugar, 1/4 cup of homey, 2 tbs of thickened cream 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon, finely grated rind of 1/2 an orange, 2 cups of rice bubbles. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 23 cm round cake pan. Melt the butter/ marg in a small saucepan over a low heat and then allow to cool. Beat the eggs until frothy and light adding the sugar and vanilla extract. Continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy, then stir in the butter/ marg and cream mixture. Mix together the flour and baking powder and fold into the cake mixture using a metal spoon. Spoon the mixyure into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Make the honey rice bubbles topping by melting the copha in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the sugar, honey cream, cinnamon and orange rind and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice bubbles. Remove the cake from the oven and reduce the heat of the oven to 150 deg C. Pour the rice bubble topping over the surface of the cake and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the cake is cooked and the topping is firm. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan. Serve sliced with whipped cream.

OREGANO TOMATOES

Ingredients....4 large tomatoes,50 gm of butter/ marg, 1 dsp of dried oregano / 1 tbs of chopped, fresh oregano, 1 dsp of minced garlic, cracked black pepper, 2 tbs of grated Parmesan cheese. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and place in a shallow slice pan. Beat the butter/ marg in a small bowl with the oregano, garlic, pepper and Parmesan. Spread the cheese mixture over the cut side of each tomato. Cook the tomatoes under a medium grill for about 5 minutes or until the topping turns golden.

CARAWAY AND APPLE COMPOTE./ STEWED APPLE WITH CARAWAY.

Ingredients...1 kg of your favourite flavoued apple, peeled, cored and chopped thickly, 60 gm of butter / marg, 100gm of castor sugar, 1 dsp of caraway seeds, 100 ml of dry white wine, 300 ml of water. Melt the butter / marg in alarge saucepan and add the chopped apples, cook over a medium high heat. Stir through the sugar, and continue to stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the caraway seeds and white wine. Reduce the heat until the wine has almost evaporated. Add the water and stir through. Cover the saucepan and cook at a very slow simmer for 15 minutes. Once the apples have turned mushy, stir through making sure the remaining liquid evaporates. Refrigerate and serve cold, mix through with Greek yoghurt to serve.

CHINA TEA BLENDS.

Teas made of aromatic leaves, flowers or roots steeped in boiling water are the most ancient and the most commonly consumed liquid after pure water. Most herb teas are infused: the leaves or flowers are put into a warm teapot, boiling water poured over and the tea is brewed for 3 - 5 minutes. If you are wondering what is China tea , it is any tea made from the leaves of camelia senesis, green/ red/ black/ oolong. CHINA TEA BLENDS ... Infuse the herbs for 5 minutes in 450 ml of of boiling water and strain before drinking. Herbal Earl Grey... 1 tsp of China tea, 3 tsp of fresh bergamot leaves. Spicy Geranium..... 1 tsp of China tea, 3 cloves, 3 rose geranium leaves. Raspberry and mint yoghurt drink.... 225 ml of natural yoghurt, 100 ml of water, 75 gm of raspberries, 1 tsp of mint syrup. Puree all ingredients together in a blender. Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.

COCONUT BLUEBERRY AND CHIA SEED PUDDING.

Ingredients.....250 ml of coconut milk, 3 tbs of chia seeds, 2 tbs of honey, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 150 gm of fresh blueberries, black sesame seeds to garnish. Use a mixing bowl to combine the coconut milk, chia seeds, honey and vanilla extract. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from the refrigerator and stir through the ingredients once again and refrigerate for a further 2 hours. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and divide the mixture between serving dishes. Serve topped with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. ( The sesame seeds are optional.)

LENTIL FRITTERS.

Ingredients......125 gm of self raising flour, 1/2 cup of milk, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 1 x 400gm can of brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed, 1 x 410 gm can of corn kernals, drained and rinsed, 1/2 red capsicum, diced, 2 spring onions, finely sliced, oil for frying. Place the flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the milk and eggs. Slowly add the milk mixture to the flour and stir well to combine. Now add the lentils, corn kernals, capsicum and spring onions to the batter. Heat the oil in the frying pan over a medium heat. Place tablesppons of the batter in the pan. Flatten each fritter with a spatula and cook for 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for a further 3 minutes.

GRANDMA’S EASY APPLE CAKE RECIPE.

Ingredients.... 1 and 2/3rds cup of self raising flour, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup of castor sugar, 60 gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced, 1 tsp of cinnamon, extra 2 tbs of castor sugar. Preheat your oven 160n deg C. Grease a 23 cm / 9" round cake pan and lightly sprinkle with fine dry breadcrumbs. Mix together the flour, salt and castor sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the margarine / butter with your fingertips. Add the milk all at once and mix quickly to a soft batter. Place the batter intio the prepared pan. Press the apple slices around the edge and in the centre of the batter. Mix together the cinnamon and extra sugar and sprinkle all over the top . Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until cooked, test with a skewer inserted, comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and invert right side up, to cool completely. Can be sliced and spread with butter/ marg, if you like.