FRENCH MUSTARD DRUMSTICKS.

These are delicious, easily prepared and great served as a main with vegetables or a light lunch alongside a salad. A great way to make the most of prices of a bulk buy of chicken drumsticks. Ingredients....1 and 1/2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of canola / rice bran oil, 1 tbs of mustard seeds, 3 tbs of french mustard, 1 tbs of lemon juice, 8 chicken drumsticks. ( If you do not have any mustard seeds, you can replace the French mustard and mustard seeds by purchsing a jar of wholegrain mustard.) Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease a baking dish . In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, oil, mustard seeds, mustard and lemon juice. Place the drumsticks in the prepared dish, pour over the mustard sauce and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. These can be served hot or cold.

THAI FRIED BANANAS.

This is so simple and quick, bananas fried in butter/ marg, brown sugar, lime juice and sprinkled with toasted coconut and served with thick and creamy yoghurt. Ingredients.......40 gm of butter/ marg, 4 large slightly under ripe bananas, 2 tbs of desiccated coconut, 4 tbs of lime juice, lime slices to serve (optional), thick and creamy yoghurt. Heat the butter/ marg in a large pan and fry the bananas for for 2 minutes on each side or until they are lightly golden in colour. Sprinkle the sugar over the bananas, add the lime juice and cook , stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Dry fry the coconut in a small pan until lighly browned, remove from heat and set aside. Place the bananas on a serving dish. sprinkle over the toasted coconut. Serve with a thick and creamy yoghurt. Delicious...

TOMATOES MEDITERRANEAN

Ingredients.....2 small eggplants cubed and sprinkled with salt, set aside for 1 hour, then rinse the eggplants, this will eliminate any bitterness. ! tbs of oil, 1 large onion sliced into fine wedges, 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, 500gm of zucchini, sliced, 420 gm can of condensed tomato soup, 1/3 rd cup of water, 1 tbs of finely chopped fresh basil / 1 tsp of dried basil, cracked black pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a large pot and gently saute the eggplants, zucchini, onions and tomatoes for 10 minutes. Combine the soup and water and add to the pot with the herbs. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with a pasta of your choice.

BANANA, HONEY AND PEANUT BUTTER CAKE.

Ingredients.....125 gm butter/ marg, 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar, 1/4 cup of honey, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 1/3 rd cup of crunchy peanut butter, 1 cup of mashed bananas ( 3 small bananas), 2 cups of wholemeal / self raising wheat flour. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Brush a loaf pan lightly with oil and line with baking paper. Use your electric mixer to beat the sugar, butter/ marg and honey together until light and creamy. Mix together the eggs and peanut butter and then add them to the butter mixture, beating thoroughly until combined. Next add the mashed bananas. Use a fork to mash the bananas, do not use a processor and do not use defrosted frozen bananas, as using either or both will add too much moisture ....I know from experience. Using a spoon, fold in the flour and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave the cake stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Slice and serve with butter/ marg, if desired.

VEGETABLE AND SALMON SLICE.

Ingredients...425 gm can of salmon, drained and flaked, 2 zucchini, grated, 1 carrot grated, 1 onion, grated, 125 gm of grated cheese, 4 eggs, lightky beaten, 1/4 cup of canola/ rice bran oil, 1/2 cup of self raising flour. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a large flan dish or a 30cm x 20cm baking pan. Using a large bowl, miz together all the ingredients. Spoon the combined mixture into the prepared dish / pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing to serve. This dish is delicious eaten hot or cold.

SPICY VEGETABLE MUFFINS.

Ingredients.....2 cups of self raising flour, 3 tsp of curry powder, cracked black pepper to taste, 1/2 cup of grated carrot, 1/2 cup of grated sweet potato, (kumara), 1 cup of grated cheese, 90 gm of melted butter/ marg, 1 egg lightly beaten, 3/4 cup of milk. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan. Mix the flour, curry powder and papper in a bowl. Add the carrot, sweet potato and cheese, mix through with your fingertips, until evenly combined. Make a well in the centre...do not overmix, the batter should be quite lumpy. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the muffins are puffed and golden. Serve with butter/ marg or as you desire.

HARD BOILED EGGS.

Would'nt you love hard boiled eggs that popped easily from their shells, well they will as long you put them in cold water first, which no one does these days. I also want to share with you, that if you turn the boiling water off and leave the eggs in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, the yolks stay yellow instead of turning that greyish green shade. Treasured advice that a dear lady named Jessie Mersey shared with me, many years ago.