BANANA TEA CAKE

This is delicous and so easy to prepare . Preheat your oven to 160 deg C Place 1/2 cup of butter/ marg in the mixer of your bowl along with 1/2 cup of castor sugar , 2 cups of self raising flour ,155gm of chopped walnuts , 155 gm of sultanas , 5 ripe bananas peeled and chopped ,1/2 tsp of salt , 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg , 1/2 tsp of cinnamon , 1/2 tsp of dried ginger ,3 tbs of lemon juice , 1 tbs of honey and 2 lightly beaten eggs . Turn your mixer to a medium speed and mix until evenly blended . Turn into a well greased and lined 9" loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes . Check with a skewer , it is cooked if the skewer comes out clean . Turn onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool . I topped with a basic white frosting and almond flakes and a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar .

COFFEE GATEAU

Preheat oven to 180 deg C First prepare a round 7" Genoese sponge . Place 3 lightly beaten eggs and 1/3rd of a cup of castor sugar and beat on high speed until light , pale and frothy . Add 1/4 cup of melted butter and then using a metal spoon fold through 1/3 rd cup of plain flour with 1/2 tsp of salt . Pour into 2 lightly greased and lined 7" round pans . Bake in preheated oven for 15- 20 minutes . Turn out onto a wire cooling rack and leave until completely cold . To make the butter cream , dissolve 3/4 cup of castor sugar in 2/3 rds of a cup of water over a low heat , gradually bring to the boil and then remove and pour over 4 lightly beaten egg yolks , beating all the time . Continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy . Gradually beat in 1 and 1/4 cups of melted butter and the blend in 4 tbs of strong black coffee . Sandwich the cakes together with buttercream and spread a layer of the buttercream around the sides . Roll the sides of the cake in chopped walnuts to coat evenly . Spread a layer of buttercream over the top of the cake , pipe the remainder around the top edge . Decorate with walnuts and crystallised violets .

SPICED HONEY MUFFINS

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C Place 1/2 cup of butter/marg in the bowl of your electric mixer along with 1/4 cup of honey, 2 lightly beaten eggs , 1 and 1.2 cups of self rising flour ,1 tsp ground ginger , 1 tsp of ground cinnamon ,1/2 tsp of salt , 1 tbs of orange rind . Now mix with the beaters on low till just evenly incorporated . Divide the batter between a well a greased 12 hole muffin pan . Bake in the well preheated oven for 15 minutes or till a skewer inserted comes out clean . Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool . Mix together 1/3 rd of a cup of icing sugar with 1 tbs of lemon juice and pour over the cooling muffins . Then I prepared a white frosting , mixing together 2 egg whites 1 and 3/4 cups of castor sugar , 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/3rd cup of warm water on high speed ,until the frosting stands in peaks and is shiny . Finally whisk in 1 dsp of cream of tartar and spread over the muffins .

GINGER CAKE

Preheat the oven 180 deg C. Place 250 gm of self raising flour in the bowl of your mixer along with 1/2 tsp of bi carb of soda,1/2 tsp of mixed spice, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon , 1/2 tsp of ground ginger , 4 tbs of castor sugar . Mix together and make a well in the centre . Add 2 well beaten eggs to the well . In a small pot add 125 gm of marg/butter , 3/4 cup of maple syrup , 1/4 cup of molasses and 150 ml of milk .Heat until the butter/ marg has melted . Pour into the mixer bowl and beat on high speed until a thick batter is formed . Pour into a 7" loaf or square pan , that has been sprayed and lined with baking paper . Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. When cooked turn onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing the paper.

CHICKEN AND BACON RAGU

This was a mix of 850 gm shredded chicken and 500gm chopped bacon slices , sauteed in butter / marg . Put aside 160 gm of the shredded chicken , cover and keep in refrigerator . I mixed 2 tbs minced garlic , 1 tbs of bush curry , 1 dsp of ground cumin and 1 dsp of ground cardamon with 1 cup of dry sherry and 2 cups of chicken stock . I peeled and sliced 2 onions , added the flesh of 500gm of whole tomatoes chopped , 400gm of shredded carrots , 1 red capsicum thinly sliced and 2 green apples peeled and grated . All of the above were placed in the slow cooker and simmered on high for 6 hours . At this point I added 1/2 cup of mixed grain rice and continued to let the dish simmer until the rice softened and absorbed the excess liquid . I opened a bag of cheese supreme nachos and heated them in a warm oven along with the shredded chicken you put aside in the refrigerator To serve I spooned the ragu into warm bowls and divided the reserved warm chicken between the centre of the bowls on the ragu and added the warm nachos ..... delicious !

SPINACH ROLL

Preheat your oven 180 deg C. Finely chop 185gm of baby spinach leaves and the add 1/2 tsp of salt , 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper , 2 tbs of grated cheese and 4 well beaten yolks . Use your stick blender to to blend until smooth . Use your electric mixer to whisk the 4 egg whites until stiff. Fold the stiffened egg whites into the spinach mixture until well incorporated . Pour into a well greased and lined 11" x 7"Swiss roll pan . Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until firm when gently pressed with your fingertipss. While the roll is cooking , prepare the white sauce . Place 1/4 cup of butter / marg in a saucepan along with 1/2 cup of plain flour and 1 and 1/4 cups of milk . Stir constantly over a low heat until the marg/butter has melted and the flour has mixed in, slowly bring to a simmer stirring until the sauce is thickened , smooth and reduced a little. Remove from the heat and add 1 and 1/2 cups (200gm )of grated Gouda cheese and stir until melted . Saute 60 gm of sliced button mushrooms in 2 tbs of butter , drain on paper towelling . Add to the sauce and season with a tbs of minced garlic . When the spinach roll is cooked , cool on a wire tray and peel off the paper , spread with the sauce , leaving a 1" border around the edge . Roll up firmly . The spinach roll can be served hot or cold with a mixed leaf salad ( optional ).

APPLE AND BACON CHARLOTTE

Pre heat your oven to 180 deg C. Place 150 gm of bacon pieces in an ovenproof dish and stir through 1 dsp of wholegrain mustard . Peel and core 3 green cooking apples. Grate 2 apples and roughly chop the remaining apple . Melt 125 gm of butter/ marg in a medium pot over a low heat and then add 250gm of breadcrumbs, add the apple mixture , toss to coat thoroughly . Now add 250 gm of grated cheese , 1 tsp of ground sage , 1/2 tsp of paprika , 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt . Turn this out onto the bacon in the ovenproof dish and spread evenly . Sprinkle with extra grated cheese and lay 4 bacon slices on top . Bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden in colour .

WHOLEMEAL DATE SLICE

You can interchange dates with prunes , dried apricots or mixed fruits . preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Place 185gm of margarine in a saucepan with 1 and 1/2 cups of lightly packed brown sugar over a medium heat until the margarine has melted . Remove from heat and add 1 lightly beaten egg , 1/2 cup of rolled oats , 1 cup of pitted and chopped dates and 1 dsp of grated orange peel . Stir well . Stir into the oats mixture 1 and 1/2 cups of wholemeal self raising flour until thoroughly combined . Spread the dough into a greased slice pan ( 28 x 18 cm ). Bake for 25 minutes , cool completely , cut into slices . Sprinkle lightly with icing sugar . Store in an airtight container .

WHAT TO DO WITH CAPSICUMS ....

Capsicums can be eaten fresh , char grilled and skinned , sliced as is and added to your your slow cooked meals , salads , soups . Capsicums freeze really well , when the opportunty arises I purchase them in bulk , trim and slice / dice them , place them in air tight platic bags in the freezer ....capsicums will last up to 12 months in the freezer . I also freeze stuffed capsicums , I slice around the vine top of the capsicum and carefully remove the seeds and pith .... I do not pre cook them ...just add the filling .... my family favourite is a filling of crumbled feta mixed with sliced cherry tomatoes , minced garlic and chopped parsley or our absolute favourite coriander . I cook these from frozen and they make great company with seafood or any protein of your choice .. Stuffed capsicums also do well with a filling of a herb flavoured grain mixed , minced garlic with shredded chicken and topped with grated cheese and served with oven heated doritos ...

ONE POT CHICKEN SOUP MEAL

I took advantage of the $4.00 pack of chicken drumsticks at Woolworths. I bought these to the boil in 1 litre of chicken stock ( $ 2 ) and 2 cups of water . When they were cooked through ( 30 minutes ), I removed the skin after letting the drum sticks cool and removed the flesh from the bone ...setting the (protein) chicken meat aside . I added 400 gm of shredded carrot , 300 gm of sliced celery , 2 onions peeled and chopped to the broth in the pot along with 2 tbs of minced garlic and 1 dsp of curry powder . I then added the chicken drumstick meat and let this simmer over a low heat until the vegetables were tender . The longer the soup sits ( refrigerated ) the more flavoursome it gets .. and the chicken bones provide natural gelatine ...( thickener ) to the stock . Total cost 10 chicken drumsticks $ 4.00 400 gm of shredded carrot $ 3.00 1/2 celery $ 1.50m 2 onions . ( home staple ) 1 lt of stock $ 2 salt / pepper / curry powder to taste .( home staples ) Total $ 10.50

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CREOLE AND CAJUN FOOD?

They seem pretty similar to me . Cajun food originated with the French who settled in Canada but were then exiled and went down to Louisiana and began combining their French culinary traditions with American cuisine Cajuns were all French Canadians , the Creole culture refers the to a mix of the colonial French and Spanish settlers but also the enslved persons bought from Africa , and over time they mingled and bagan to influence each other's cooking Cajon food is more French and generally hotter , where as Creole food is generally like a melting pot of flavours and creamy , using lots of tomatoes .

MIXED FRUIT AND WALNUT ROLL

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a nut loaf pan . Cream together 1 tbs of butter and 1 tbs of castor sugar in asmall bowl . Add 1 cup of self raising flour , 1/2 tsp of cinnamon . Lightly beat 1 egg in a separate bowl and then mix with 1 cup of milk and add to the flour and butter mix. Stir in 1/3 cup of chopped mixed fruit and 1/2 cup of granulated nuts . Spoon mixture into the nutloaf tin . Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes . Remove from the oven and leave in tin for 5 minutes and then remove from tin to wire rack to cool completely .

SWEET ‘N’ FRUITY PORK CASSEROLE

Cube 750 gm of boneless lean pork and coat with plain flour . Peel and slice 1 onion and 3 stalks of celery and then process and then stir through 2 tbs of minced garlic. Heat a good glug of rice bran oil in a large pan over a medium heat and saute the pork until browned on all sides . Then stir through the onion mix and saute until golden . Add 125gm of dried apricots ( chopped), 90 gm of raisins ,90 gm of date paste ( chopped ) , 1 large green apple cored and sliced , the juice and grated peel of 1/2 lemon, the juice and peel of 1/2 orange and season with salt and pepper . Stir to combine and place in a slow cooker . Mix together 2 cups of beer or apple cider with 1 dsp of honey , 1 tsp of each marjoram , curry powder, dried lemon mrytle ,thyme , cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg . Stir through and pour into the slow cooker . Cover and cook on low for 4 hours . Serve into warm bowls along with buttered noodles or a plain grain.

SAVOURY DUMPLINGS

Place 225 gm of SR flour in a bowl with 30 gm of margarine / butter along with 1 tbs of dried mixed herbs . Use your fingertips to combine flour , herbs and shortening , until there is no visible lumps of butter . In a separate bowl beat 2 eggs with 50 ml of milk . add to the flour mix and stir briefly with a wet wooden bowl until just combined ( do not over work ). Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour . Heat your stew , casserole or soup and when it has reached a steady simmer , break off small pieces of the dough and roll into small ball shapes . Add the dumpling dough to the soup / stew / casserole mix . Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through . the dumplings are cooked when a skewer is inserted in the unpling and the skewer comes out clean . The secret to a perfect dumpling is to keep the dough cold and not to overwork the pastry .

YOUVETSI

Slice 1 kg of tomatoes in 1/2 and scoop out the flesh and seeds into a bowl and roughly chop Peel and thinly slice 1 onion , trim 1 capsicum and slice into thin strips . Add 1 dsp of mixed herbs , 2 tbs of minced garlic . Stir through 420 gm can of condensed tomato soup and 170 gm can of tomato paste ( concentrate ), 1 tsp of mustard seeds , 125 ml of red wine , and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper . spray the bowl of your slow cooker with oil . Lightly spray 225 gm of long grain rice with cooking oil and then stir through the youvetsi mix . Pin the bowl of your slow cooker , then place a ladel full of the youvetsi into the bowl of your slow cooker and then layer your choice of protein (I used salmon fillets ), alternating with the youvesti , until the protein is covered and you have used all the youvetsi. Cover and cook on High till it simmers then turn to Low for 4 and 1/2 hours .

TOMATO RISSOLES

In a large bowl place 6 large tomatoes peeled and finely diced , 1 small onion peeled and grated , 1 heaped tbs of chopped parsley ,1 heaped tbs of chopped mint ,1 tsp of sugar ,1 tbs of tomato paste ,a pinch of salt and pepper . Mix everything together . Now add 1 and 1/2 cups of plain flour . Stir well to combine , the mixture should look like a batter . Now heat a pan with 1/2 inch of rice bran oil (2cm ) Use a tbs to spoon out the tomato mixture and carefully place in the pan to deep fry . Cook each side for 3 minutes each or until golden brown . Remove and drain on some absorbent paper . Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

MY (STORM LOCKDOWN )PEA AND HAM SOUP

I poured 2 litres of vegetable stock into my large soup pot , along with a 1.3 kg ham hock and heated over a low heat . I proceeded to peel and slice 2 onions, 1/2 celery head including leaves finely chopped and thinly sliced 400gm of fresh carrots and added these to the warming pot along with 3 tbs of minced garlic and a sprinkle of cracked pepper . Cover and continue to bring to a slow simmer and continue to simmer , covered for 45 minutes Now add 1 kg of frozen peas and return to the simmer , then add 125 ml of dry sherry . Reduce the heat to low and add 2 cups of water cover and continue to cook for 60 minutes . Once the hock starts to fall apart and the rind starts to unfurl , remove the pot to your work bench and carefully remove the hock , removing the rind and discarding and pulling the flesh from the hock bone . Place the soup over low heat and add 1 kg packet of frozen winter vegetables and 400 gm of torn spinach leaves . When the vegetables are tender and the spinach leaves have wilted , your stick blender to make a puree . Taste and adjust seasoning , I added a little cayenne pepper and a tsp of mustard seeds . Finally add the pork hock bone back to the soup with the pulled ham , stir through along with 125 gm of cream cheese that you have cut into cubes . Gently heat to combine . Cover and refrigerate until ready to use and reheat .

CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES WITH CHICKEN, TOMATO, CAPSICUM AND ONION

You may ask what is the difference between scalloped potaoes and au gratin ...? The answer is cheese , scalloped potatoes are simply cooked in cream whereas au gratin has cheese added . Preheat your oven to 200deg C Simply spray your oven proof dish and slice 3 ' all rounder potatoes " Fan some of the potatoe slices over the base of your baking dish along with a sprinkle of sumac , then top with the flesh of 3 tomatoes , 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced and 1/4 of capsicum trimmed and thinly sliced . Over this sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated cheese and some pulled chicken . Finally top with remaining potato slices , a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of grated cheese and a sprinkle of sumac . Place 1 tbs of marg /butter in a saucepan along with 1 cup of cream or milk ,1 tbs of minced garlic and heat till the butter has melted , then add a tbs of cornlour paste and whisk till smooth and slightly thickened , pour this over the au gratin . Place in preheated oven for 60 minutes until potatoes are tender and golden .

ROUGH PUFF PASTRY

Combine 2 cups of plain flour with a pinch of salt and 125 gm of COLD butter cut up in chunks. process or rub the the mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs Add 2/3rds of a cup of COLD water and a squeeze of lemon juice . Just mix till a soft dough forms . Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly . Roll out to a rectangle about 1 cm thick (1/2 inch ) . Fold the dough into 3rds lengthwise , roll out and then fold the dough into 3rds crosswise . Keep rolling and folding another 4 times . Finally wrap and chill the pastry for at LEAST 30 minutes before using in YOUR recipe . It is essential that your kitchen is cool when preparing puff pastry .

MORE SUBSTITUTES

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ...dark cooking chocolate ( 30 gm /1 oz) THEN USE.... 2 tbs of cocoa plus 2-3 tsps of marg/butter blended in a few drops of hot water IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ...1 tbs of cornflour ( thickening ) THEN USE ...2 tbs of plain flour. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ...1 cup of honey THEN USE ...1 and 1/4 cups of castor sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ...1 tsp of grated lemon rind THEN USE.....1/2 tsp of lemon essence . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ....1 cup of buttermilk THEN USE ....3 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice plus enough fresh milk to measure 1 cup , let stand for 5 minutes before using OR use 1 cup of plain yoghurt . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ....1 cup of fresh whole milk THEN USE ......1/2 cup of evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup of water , or 1 cup of reconstituted skim milk powder plus 1 dsp of melted butter/marg . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE .....1 cup of castor sugar THEN USE .......2 cups of icing sugar or 1 cup of packed soft brown sugar IF YOU DO NOT HAVE .....1 cup of tomato juice THEN USE ......1 cup of tomato puree plus 1/2 cup of water . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE .....2 cups of tomato puree THEN USE .....3/4 cup of tomato paste plus 1 cup of water . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE .....1 dry sachet of yeast THEN USE ....30 gm (1oz) of instant dried yeast .

QUOTATIONS

Creativity varies inversely ( immensely ) with the number of cooks invovled in the broth Bernice Fitzgibbon . Some people's food always taste better than others ..... because one person has much more life in them .. than others .... You have to throw feeling into your cooking... Rosa Lewis

PASTRY PUFFS

These are deep fried puff pastry treats . All you need is a sheet of puff pastry , fresh rice bran oil and icing sugar . Slice the pastry sheet into 12 equal squares or use a cookie cutter and cut out rounds . Heat 3 cups of fresh oil in a large saucepan or your deep fryer to about 180 deg . Place 3 slices at a time into the oil and cook till the pastries are puffed and golden . Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towelling sheets to drain excess oil . Then move to a wire cooling rack and sift over icing sugar on both sides . That is all there is to it ..

PINEAPPLE TEA CAKE

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 20 cm cae pan and line with baking paper. Combine 300gm of self raising flour, 1 and 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, 110 gm of castor sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bwl . In a separate bowl place 50 gm of melted butter / marg , 1 lightly beaten egg and 125 ml of milk. Stir the wet mixture until well combined . Now pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined . Transfer to the prepared pan . Finally place 130 gm of crushed and drained pineapple into a bowl and mix with another 50 gm of melted butter / marg , then stir in 3 tbs of honey . Spoon this over the cake batter and sprinkle over 20gm of desiccated coconut . Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and dry . Leave in the pan for 10 minutes before removing . Serve with whipped cream or yoghurt .

BEEF NOODLE SOUP .

Slice 6 spring onions on the diagonal and chop 150gm of carrots into thin sticks . Place 15gm of dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with boiling water . Trim 350 gm of rump steak of any fat and slice into trim strips . Heat 2 tbs of rice bran oil in a large pot and cook the beef in batches until browned , adding a little more oil if necessary . Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towelling . Add 1 dsp of minced ginger , spring onions , 1 tbs of minced garlic and carrots sticks to the pan and stir fry for 3 minutes . Now add 5 cups of beef stock , the mushrooms and their soaking liquid , 3 tbs of soy sauce and 4 tbs of dry sherry . Season generously with salt and cracked pepper . Bring this to the boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes . Break up the noodles slightly and add to the mix along with 75gm of torn spinach leaves . Chech seasoning again before serving .

CHINESE STEAMED FISH

Fish is delicate and must be cooked carefully to preserve its moisture and fine texture . The low cooking temperatures of the slow cooker are perfect for fish . This recipe is a superb way of cooking fish . Chinese parsley is also know as coriander and is used in this recipe , you can substitute coriander for ordinary parsley . If you are using fresh whole fish ( 2 ) , clean , scale and remove heads from fish , dip the fish into boiling water to loosen any scales that remain after cleaning . Slash fish in the thickest part and lightly salt inside and out . In a bowl place 1tbs of minced ginger , 2 spring onions chopped , a handful of fresh coriander or parsley roughly torn .If you are using coriander use the root as well . Mix to combine and then place the mixture in the stomach cavity of the fish . Now spray the bowl of your crock pot with cooking oil and then line it with remaning spring onions with the green stalks , 3 whole garlic cloves unpeeled and sliced in half and remaining coriander / parsley stalks from the bunch to form a bed for your fish . Place the whole fish side by side in the crock pot . Cover and cook on low for 90 minutes . Remove fish to a heated serving plate and garnish with a spread of minced garlic , shredded white ends of shallots and coriander sprigs . In a small saucepan bring 1/3 rd of a cup of peanut oil to a simmer and pour over the fish To serve sprinkle with soy sauce and serve immediately .

BOUILLABAISSE

Bouillabaisse is the most famous of all Mediterranean fish soups , it is a rich and colourful mixture of fish and shellfish, flavoured with tomatoes, saffron and orange . If you cannot access fresh seafood it is ok to substitut ) 1.5 kg of frozen mixed fish red trout , whiting , snapper , monk fish , large raw prawns and clams ) Cut the fish into large chuncks , leave the shell fish in their shells . Remove the pulp from 250 gm of well flavoured tomatoes , chop and place in a bowl . Soak a pinch of saffron threads in 2 tbs of hot water in a small bowl . Heat 6 tbs of rice bran oil in a large pan , add 1 peeled and sliced onion , 1 leek sliced ( white part only ), 1 stick of celery sliced and cook until softened . Then add 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 bouquet garni , grated rind of 1 orange , 1 tsp of fennel seeds ,the chopped tomatoes , then the saffron threads with soaking water and 5 cups of fish stock . Season with salt and cracked pepper , bring to this to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes . Now add the shell fish and and continue to cook for 6 minutes followed by the fish chunks and cook for a further 8 minutes until the fish flakes easily . Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fish and shellfish to a warmed serving dish . Keep the the liquid simmering , to allow the fish oil to emulsify with the broth , add 2 tbs of tomato paste and 1/2 tsp of ground anise . return fish and shell fish to the broth and serve with crusty French bread stick .

SAFFRON

Saffron comes from the orange and red stigmas of a type of crocus that must be harvested by hand , and therefore extremely expensive . Saffron is the highest priced spice in the world However the flavour is unique and cannot be replaced by any other spice and should never be omitted .

ALMOND SOUP

This is a beautiful soup and so good for you . First you need to place 1/3 rd cup of rice bran oil or almond oil if you can get it and add dsp of minced garlic and 8 gm of Gourmet Garden mixed herbs along with 4 torn slices of wholemeal bread . Cook over a medium heat until the the bread is golden . Transfer the contents of the pan to a procesor and add 1 tsp of ground cumin , 1/2 tsp of saffron and 250ml of chicken stock along with 200gm of almond meal, liquidise the mixture . Pour this into a saucepan and add an extra 750 ml of chicken stock , 1 cup of milk , season with salt and cracked pepper and bring to the boil . Reduce the heat and cook slowly for about 15 minutes . To serve fry off some some bread slices and cut into triangles and add to the soup . Let cool to mouth temperature for 5 minutes before serving .

SURVIVAL RECIPES FROM THE CONTENTS IN YOUR FRIDGE

I put the challenge out yesterday and invited what you could make with the contents of your fridge . Heather from the cooking class sent photos of her opened fridge and decided she could easily prepare a quiche with eggs , tomatoes , and diced ham , cream, all contents in her fridge . Rosemary a friend on FB... took on the challenge with some premade pumpkin soup and pork sausages . Robyn has been working flat out giving covid vaccinations at the Traralgon racecourse along with other health care workers , but she will join the challenge . There is no time limit but the challenge was in place of our cancelled class this week . My eggs are not kept in the fridge so they are out . I'm fortunate that my foster dogs Ziggy and Winston love party pies ..so I made reconstructed cheesy curried party pies . That was my first survival meal from the fridge . Tomorrow I'll add another meal , the contents haven't changed , so I'm still eligable . Come on take the challenge . Here is my first survival meal ....commercial style party pies , I sliced the pastry top off the party pies and sprinkled a little bush curry powder over the meat filling and using a fork , mixed through then I added a dsp of shredded cheese or you could grate whatever cheese you have and replaced the pastry lid . Placed in the oven and warmed through and cheese melted . Have to tell you , it was pretty bloody good .!! Let's see what I can create tomorrow , come on take the challenge .

COOKING CLASS CHURCHILL ...SURVIVAL CLASS.

Due to lockdown the CNC cooking class was cancelled , after 7 and 1/2 years Tuesdays are just not the same without class . So , Meagan , Heather , Robyn , Karyn , Cheryl and Jess , I am putting out the challenge to YOU ..... Open your fridge take account of what is on the shelves NOW, remember we are in lockdown , I want you to make something to eat , from what is in your fridge . This challenge is about survival , what if you couldn't get to the shops , you still need to eat and we eat to survive . This is about your creativity , your survival , not about out doing each other. You can use ingredients in your pantry . I'm going to join the challenge , I haven't been to the shops since Saturday . Remember this is about survival , no judgement . All you have to do is list your ingredients ( take a photo if you want ) and send through your recipe along with a photo .....and as I said it is about surviving . Anyone who is reading this post , your are welcome to join the challenge . I expect your recipes and a photo of your survival meal .