BANANA, CHOC HAZELNUT SMOOTHIE.

One of the ingredients in this recipe is oat bran, oat bran is available in all major supermarkets. You can substitute rolled oats or quick oats, just blend the quick oats / rolled oats until you get a coarse powdery mixture. Ingredients.....2 medium ripe bananas, 2 tbs of oat bran, 2 tbs of hazelnut chocolate spread, 500 ml of chilled milk, 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream. Put the bananas, oat bran, chocolate hazelnut spread, milk and ice cream into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve in chilled glasses. Once you have made this smoothie, you will be making it again and again. Young and old love it.

SALMON , FETA AND PASTA PIES

Ingredients......Cooking oil sray, 200 gm of spaghetti, 100 gm of baby spinach leaves, 1 tbs of fresh parsley, chopped, 1 tbs of mint, fresh / dried, 210 gm can of red salmon in springwater, drained, 75 gm of crumbly feta cheese, 80 gm of fresh / frozen peas, 2 eggs, lightly beaten,cracked black pepperto taste, 125 ml of milk. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly spray 4 x 1 cup sized muffin holes. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well and cut into short lengths. Roughly chop the baby spinach leaves. Put the pasta, spinach, herbs, salmon, feta and peas into a large bowl and mix to combine. Season with cracked black pepperand divide the mixture between the prepared muffin holes. Finally whisk together the eggs and milk and pour over the mixture in the muffin holes. BVake for 40 minutes or until the egg is set. These are really tasty.

SIMPLE ONE BOWL EASY MIX BUTTER CAKE.

Ingredients......125 gm of butter / marg at room temp, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 275 gm of castor sugar, 3 eggs, lightly beaten, 150 gm of plain flour, 75 gm of self raising flour, 1/4 tsp of bi carb of soda, 125 ml of milk. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Lightly grease a 20 cm round or square cake pan and line with baking paper. Place all the ingredientsin the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on a low speed until all the ingredients are just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is smooth and pale in colour. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 75 minutes or until tested with a skewer,( one inserted and coming out clean ). Leave the cooked cake in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wir rack, turn the cake top side up to cool. Sprinkle the cake with icing sugar to serve.

EGG FRIED RICE

This is an oldie but always well received. Ingredients......310 gm of rice, ( traditionally white rice is used but it is your dish your choice.) 1 litre of water, 1 carrot, finely chopped, 80 gm of frozen or fresh peas, 2 tbs of canola / rice bran oil, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 2 tbs of soy sauce / tamari, 1 tbs of sesame oil, 2 tbs of spring onion, chopped to garnish. Cook the rice in the water in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until water has been absorbed. In a small saucepan, boil the carrots in water for 3 minutes, add the peas and continue to cook for 3 minutes and drain. Heat a frypan over a high heat with the canola / rice bran oil. Add the carrots and peas, stir fry for 30 seconds, then pour in the lightly beaten eggs, stirring to scramble with the vegetables. Stir in the cooked rice, pour in the soy / tamari sauce and toss to coat. Drizzle with the sesame oiland toss again. Serve garnished with the chopped spring onions.

SUNFLOWER AND SESAME SLICE

A high in fibre treat. Ingredients......90 gm of butter / marg, 1 tsp of grated lemon rind, 2 tbs of castor sugar, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 100 gm of plain flour, 80 gm of wholemeal flour, 80 gm of sunflower kernals, 80 gm of ginger marmalade, 2 tbs of sesame seeds. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Line a 24 cm square pan with baking paper. Beat the butter / marg, rind, sugar and egg in a medium bowl with your electric beater until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and sunflower seeds. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the slice with the ginger marmalade and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool the slice in the pan before slicing.

HOMEMADE PESTO WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES.

Ingredients.....Pesto..1 cup / 30 gm of fresh basil leaves, 30 gm of pine nuts, 60 ml of olive oil, 1 tbs of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper, 30 gm / 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese, handful of basil leaves to garnish. Zucchini noodles...4 zucchini, 15 cherry tomatoes, halved, 1/2 cup / 60 gm of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Place the basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and pepper into your food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add the Parmesan and pulse until a thicker consisitency is reached. Cover and place in your refrigerator until required. Now finely julienne the zucchini using a kitchen knife. Steam the zucchini noodles for 2 minutes. Place the zucchini noodles, tomatoes, and pesto in a large bowland toss well to thoroughly coat the noodles. Garnish with the finely grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves to serve. Delicious.

HOMEMADE OLIVE BREAD.

Ingredients....300 gm of strong white flour / bakers flour, plus extra for dusting, 1 and 1/2 tsp of instant yeast, 1 tsp of salt, a pinch of castor sugar, 100 ml of lukewarm water, 250 gm of silverbeet, chopped, 100gm of sliced black olives, 2 tbs of olive oil. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a bowl and make a hollow in the middle. Add the lukewarm water. Knead the mixture into a smooth, silky dough. Leave to rise, covered, for about 1 hour or until doubled in size in a warm room. Now preheat your oven to 220 deg C. Knead the chopped silverbeet and sliced olives into the dough, then divide it into thirds. Form each loaf into a rounded rectangular loaf. Place each loaf on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a flour dusted cotton tea towel and leave for for an hour. Brush the loaves with oil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to serve. This is so good.