RICE au GRATIN.

Ingredients....4 cups of vegetable stock, 1 cup of brown rice, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 400 gm of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp of sugar, 420 gm can of corn kernals, drained, 1 cup of frozen green peas, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese. Grease a 6 cup ovenproof / casserole dish. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Place the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice, cover and cook gently until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. cook the onions in a large frying pan with a tbs of oil and cook until the onion is tender. add the tomatoes and their juice along with cracked pepper and sugar. Stir gently over a low heat. Add the corn and peas to the rice, stirring through gently, spoon into the prepared dish and pour over the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden and heated through. Delicious.

CHOCOLATE SELF SAUCING PUDDING.

Ingredients....50 gm of dark chocolate, chopped, 60 gm of butter / marg, 2 tbs of cocoa powder, 2/3 rds of a cup of milk, 1 cup of self raising flour, 1/2 cup of castor sugar, 1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 1 egg, lightly beaten, icing sugar for dusting. Fudge sauce, ingredients.....1 and 1/2 cups of boiling water, 50 gm of butter / marg, chopped,1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 6 cup capacity ovenproof dish. Combine the chocolate, bitter,cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Place the flour in a large bowl and stir in the sugars. Add the chocolate mixture and the beaten egg, mix well to combine. Spread the mixture into the prepared dish. Now, for the fudge sauce. Combine the water, butter, sugar and cocoa in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat, without boiling until combined. Pour the fudge sauce over the back of a tablespoon over the surface of the pudding. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until firm. Serve the pudding dusted with sifted icing sugar. Best served warm.

SWEDISH FISH STEW.

Ingredients...750 gm of assorted fish fillets, skins removed, butter / marg for frying, 2 medium carrots, sliced, 2 medium onions, sliced, cracked black pepper to taste, 1 tbs of dried dill, 2 large all rounder potatoes, cubed,1 and 1/4 cups of vegetable stock, 3/4 of a cup of milk, 3 tbs of butter/ marg, melted, 2 tbs of plain flour, 1 tbs of chopped parsley, 1 tbs of minced garlic. Grease the bowl of your slow cooker and set the temperature on high. Slice the fish fillets into pieces. Fry the fish pieces in a little oil in a frying pan until the pieces are sealed, remove from the pan and transfer to your slow cooker. Add the carrots, onions, cracked pepper to taste, the dill, parsley and minced garlic. Mix 1 and 1/4 cups of vegetable stock with 3/4 cup of milk in a bowl add the melted butter/ marg and mix together with the flour. Slowly stir the liquid into your slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 2.5 hours or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce slightly thickened. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. I served this spooned over steamed rice.

MARSHMALLOW PAVLOVA

Ingredients....4 egg whites, at room temp, 1 cup / 220 gm of castor sugaR, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, 3/4 tsp of white vinegar, 1 and 1/4 cups/ 300 ml of thickened cream, whipped, 250 gm of fresh strawberries, halved, 1/4 of a cup / 60 ml of passionfruit pulp. Preheat your oven 120 deg C. line an oven tray with baking paper and dust with cornflour, shaking off any excess. Mark an 18 cm round on the baking paper. Beat the cream with an electric mixer until thickened. Place the thickened cream in your refrigerator until required. beat the gg whites in a non metallic bowl with clean, dry beaters until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until the sugar dissolves. Add the vinegar and vanilla extract, contiue beating until well combined. Spread the meringue into the circle on the baking paper. Build up the sides to 8 cm in height. Smooth the sides of the pavlova gently with the back of a spoon, smooth over the top of the pavlova. Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the pavlova cool in the oven with the door ajar. Cut around the top edge of the pavlova, the crisp meringue will fall on top of the marshmallow centre. Top the pavlova with the thickened cream, strawberries and passionfruit. Enjoy!

POLENTA PARMIGIANA.

200 gm of polenta, 200 gm of plain flour, 1 tbs of baking powder, 1 dsp of garam masala, 85 gm of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 400 ml of milk, 55 gm of butter / marg, melted, 3 tbs of dried chioves, cracked black pepper to taste. Preheat your to 180 deg C. Grease and line a square 23 cm / 9" baking pan with baking paper. Mix together the polenta, flour, baking powder,garam masala and a pinch of pepper into a large bowl. Stir in 55gm of the cheese. Mix together the beaten eggs, milk and melted butter / marg. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well to mix evenly. Stir in the dried chives. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden and firm. Remove from the pan cool on a wire rack. Serve cold or warm and cut into squares.

SATAY CHICKEN PIZZA

This pizza recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken, it is also delicious made with cold roast beef, lamb or pork. It is also perfect when you need to feed hungry people in a short amount of time. If you only want to make one pizza, simply halve the ingredients... Ingredients.....2 store bought pizza bases, 30 cm rounds, 250 ml of satay sauce, 1 red capsicum sliced, 1 green capsicum sliced, 1 carrot, cut into thin strips, 100 gm of bean sprouts, 1 cooked chicken / cooked chicken pieces, cut into small pieces, 190 gm of grated tasty cheese, cracked black pepper to taste. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line baking tray/s with baking paper. spread the pizza bases with the satay sauce. Spread half the capsicums, carrot, bean sprouts over each base. Top each base with half the chicken and sprinkle each with half the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and the base crisp. Phew, cooked in time for the hungry guests who were also welcomed by cooking aromas.

NUTTY FLAPJACKS

A flapjack by definition is a type of biscuit made from butter / marg,sugar, rolled oats, granulated nuts and golden syrup / honey. Baked in a shallow tray and cut into squares / rectangles. They are great for snacks. Now, here is the recipe....Ingredients...115 gm of butter / marg, 200 gm of rolled oats, 115 gm of granulated nuts, 55 gm of plain flour, 2 tbs of honey / golden syrup, 85 gm of soft brown sugar. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a 9" / 23 cm square oven proof dish / cake pan with baking paper. Place the rolled oats, granulated nuts and flour in a large bowl and mix together. Place the butter / marg, sugar and syrup in saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the mixture is melted. Pour onto the dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth over the top with the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden and firm to touch. Remove the pan from the oven and mark into 16 squares / rectangles, leave in the pan to cool. When completely cooled, cut through with a sharp knife and remove from the pan.