MEDITERRANEAN PIE

This dish is so easily prepared and it is often on my menu . Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Grease and line a pizza tray with baking paper . Cut the corners of a sheet of frozen puff pastry that has been defrosted , to form a round. Place the pastry on the prepared tray . In a bowl combine 80 gm of crumbled feta cheese , 10 cherry tomatoes sliced in half , 1 small zucchini thinly sliced , 1/2 cup of pitted black olives , 6 slices of shaved salami quarterd , mix well . Topple the filling mixture onto the pastry round and sprinkle with sumac . Leave a 4 cm border . Gather the pastry border making a raised edge . Leaving the cntre open . Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp . Serve topped with rocket leaves and a drizzle of honey .

FENNEL MEATBALLS AND CANNELLINI BEAN SALAD

In a large bowl mix 500 gm of sausage mince , 1 small fennel bulb finely chopped , 50 gm of pancetta finely chopped , 1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint , 2 tbs of breadcrumb , 1 brown onion finely chopped and finally 2 tbs of minced garlic . Season to taste with cracked black pepper . Shape into oval styled meatballs and toss in a cup of breadcrumbs to lightly coat . Place on a tray and chill for 20 minutes . Heat 2 tbs of rice bran oil in a pan over a medium heat . Cook the meatballs for 8 - 10 minutes , turning occasionally , until browned and cooked through . Drain on paper towel . For the cannellini bean salad , mix together 1 x can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, 10 cherry tomatoes , (halved )1 small red onion thinly sliced , 2 tbs of red wine vinegar,2 tbs of sesame oil . This is simply delicious .

THE MANOR DIM SUM

I had some won ton wrappers in the freezer , To make the filling it was just mixing 250 gm of chicken mince with rice wine vinegar , oyster sauce and a drop or 2 of fish sauce and mixed to combine . I placed a tsp of the mince mixture in the middle of each won ton round and sealed the wrapper with egg white and then pinched the halves together . Place in the refrigerator for the egg white join to set . Once the dim sim were prepared , I put together the liquid for them to be served in . It was a mixture of chicken and vegetable stock , a little minced ginger , chinese rice wine along with a little minced ginger, a few drops of sriracha ( optional ) and a good handful of shredded carrot . I bought the liquid base for the dim sum to a simmer and carefully placed the dim sims in the liquid and allowed them to gently simmer , cook and heat through . I turned the heat off and left the dim sims to soak up all the flavours . These are so delicious served in a bowl with the liquid . The longer they stand , the more intense the flavour . This dish also freezes well .

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MANOR ..EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA ROLLS

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. In a small bowl , combine 1/2 cup of ricotta and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and season with 1 tbs of minced garlic and a sprinkle of dried chili ( optional ) along with cracked black pepper . You now need to slice a large eggplant into 8 thin lengthways slices . Top each slice with a slice of pancetta , divid the ricotta mixture between each and roll up firmly to enclose . Spread 1 cup and 1/2 cups of pasatta over the base of a deep oven proof dish and arrange the eggplant rolls in a single layer ( join down ). Then top the rolls with an extra cup of pasatta and a sprinkle of grated mozarella over top. Bake for 25 or until golden minutes and the egg plant is tender . Serve with a rocket salad .

AN OLD FAVOURITE , MACARONI WITH CABANOSSI AND TOMATO

Melt a tbs of butter / marg in a pan , sprinkle in 2 tbs of plain flour and stir in for 1 minute . Remove the pan from heat and blend / stir in 2 cups of milk, until smooth . rerturn the pan to the heat and bring to a simmer , stirring until the sauce thickens . Stir in 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese along with sriracha hot chili sauce ( optional)and 1 tbs of minced garlic . Season to taste . Cook 375 gm of macaroni pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water , drain well and return to pan . Stir the sauce through . Heat 1 tbs of peanut oil in a fry pan , saute 2 sliced sticks of cabanossi for 3 minutes and then add 250 gm of quartered cherry tomatoes , cook stirring for 1 minute . toss through the macaroni . Top with fresh chives sliced . Serve with crusty bread .

A GOOD START TO SATURDAY (no bake cheesecake )

For the pie crust you can use biscuit crumbs (306 gm ), butter/ marg (155gm ) and sugar (67 gm) , mixed together to line the base of your pan .( 20 cm spring form ) Refrigerate while you are preparing the filling . Alternatively you can use store bought sweet pastry shells . For the filling you will need 900 gm of cream cheese at room temp and beat with an electric mixer until smooth . Add 1 x 375 ml of sweetened condensed milk( regular , not low fat ), 60 ml of lemon juice and 1 tsp of vanilla extract . Continue to mix until no lumps remain and the filling is smooth . Spoon the filling into the pan or the pastry cases . Chill for 4-6 hours before serving . This cheesecake can be frozen .

HONEY - CHAI SPICE CAKE .

The cake pan you need is a 22 cm round pan , I used a 10 - 12 cup bundt pan . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Ingredients.....4 spiced chai teabags steeped in 120 ml of boiling water, 140ml of canned evaporated milk, 3 cups of plain flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of bi carb of soda, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground cardamon, 1 tsp of ground cloves, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 180gm of room temp butter/ marg, 220gm of soft brown sugar, 3 lightly beaten eggs, 255gm of runny honey. Now let's get started... Grease your pan liberally and lightly sprinkle with flour or fine polenta. Measure out 120 ml of boiling water and steep 4 spiced chai tea bags for 3 minutes . Remove the tea bags and add 140 ml of canned evaporated milk .Set aside . In a medium bowl mix together 3 cups of plain flour , 1 tsp of baking powder ,1 tsp of bi carb of soda , 1 tsp of salt ,1 tsp of ground cinnamon ,1 tsp of ground cardamon ,1 tsp of ground cloves , 1 tsp of ground ginger . Set aside . Now you are ready to put the cake batter together . In your electric mixer cream 180 gm of softened butter / marg with 220 gm of soft brown sugar until light and fluffy . Add 3 lightly beaten eggs one at a time alternating with 255gm of runny honey , continuing to mix well. So now it is time to add the flour and the tea mixture . Mix until you have a smooth batter . Pour the batter in the prepared pan ( it is really aromatic ) . Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean . Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then invert onto a wire rack to cool ompletely . For the glaze...... In a small saucepan heat 1/4 cup of cream to a simmer . Remove from heat and add 180 gm of white cooking chocolate , whisk till smooth , let cool a little and drizzle over your honey chai spice cake . It is your choice to top with white choc buds or a sprinkle of sugar ... whether you decorate the cake or not is your choice . This cake is delicious !!!

RHUBARB CAKE

I grow my own rhubarb I have 3 crowns , years old and always yeilding . I make this cake in a bundt pan . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease and lightly flour the bundt pan . In a medium saucepan stir together 300gm of sliced fresh rhubarb , 100gm of castor sugar and 80 ml of water . Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes / 15 minutes until the mixture is thickened and reduced . Remove from heat and let cool . In a large bowl cream 300gm of ( 1 and 1/2 cups ) brown sugar , 80 gm of softened marg / butter , 2 lightly beaten eggs along eith 1 tsp of almond essence , 1 tsp of vanilla extract until light and fluffy . Now stir in 330gm ( 2 and 1/4 cups ), of plain flour , 250 ml of milk ( 1 cup ), blend well and then stir through through the rhubarb. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan . Bake for 55- 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean . Leave stand in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack and then turn out onto the wire rack and cool completely . THE VANILLA GLAZE In a medium bowl , mix 200gm of icing sugar with 1 tbs of softened butter , add 1 tsp of vanilla extract add 2 tbs of cream until you get the desired conistency , if not quite right add another 1 tbs of cream . mix until smooth and drizzle over your cooled cake . Slice to serve .

LARB GAI ( CHICKEN THAI SALAD )

Place 500 gm of chicken mince in a large bowl with 60 ml ( 1/4 cup ) of lime juice . heat a fry pan to a medium heat sparyed with cooking oil . Cook the chicken mince , moving it around with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes , add 1 tsp of brown rice , 1 dsp of apple cider vinegar , 2 tbs of fish sauce , 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 dsp of minced ginger , 2 spring onions sliced ,continue stirring for 3 minutes . Now add 1/2 cup of fresh coriander , 1 red chilli sliced ( with seeds ) and 1 dsp of rice flour . Mix till slightly thickened and stir through 100gm of bean sprouts .

GERMAN CHEESECAKE WITH PEACHES

Preheat your oven to 170 deg C. Grease a 10" (26 cm ) springform pan . Separate 6 eggs . Using your electric mixer to mix 200gm of margarine / butter with 250gm of castor sugar , until they are light in colour and resemble whipped cream . Add 2 tbs of cinnamon sugar and the egg yolks , one at a time , making sure they are well mixed before adding the next . Now mix through 3/4 cup (200ml ) of thickened cream . Add 1 kg of ricotta cheese ( DO NOT USE LIGHT RICOTTA..or the recipe won't work )to the cake mix and mix through . In a separate bowl beat the 6 egg whites together with 3 tsp of corn flour until stiff. It is now time to gently fold them into the cake mix . Pour the filling into the prepared pan . Bake for 1 hour until golden . Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door slighly ajar for 20 minutes . Meanwhile drain a 400gm can of sliced peaches and arrange the peach slices around the outer edge of the cake . Refrigerate for 4-6 hours to set , before removing from the pan .

TERIYAKI ZUCCHINI AND VEGIE RICE

Heat 1 tbs of peanut oil in a large pan over a high heat . Add 4 well beaten eggs and swirl to coat pan in a thin layer . Cook for 2 minutes or until set and golden underneath , then transfer to a plate , cool then roll into a log and slice thinly . Place 500gm of frozen brocoli and cauliflower rice into a steamer along with 500gm of frozen baby beans and 250 gm of frozen baby peas into a steamer and cook till the vegeatables and rice are tender. Add another 1 tbs of peanut oil to the pan and add 3 large zucchinis sliced in 1.5 cm . Cook the zucchini slices on both sides for 5 minutes or until golden and tender . Place the prepared zucchini slices in a serving dish . Add half of the steamed vegeables/ rice and egg rolls over the zucchini slices . Then repeat layering with the remaining egg rolls and vegetables/ rice . Finish off with chopped chives and stir through 6 tbs of teriyaki sauce . Top with sesame seeds . TERIYAKI SAUCE Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce ,2 tbs sesame oil and 2 tbs honey , mix well to combine.

BANANA CAKE WITH HONEY CREAM .

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 20 cm round cake pan with baking paper . In a large bowl , mix together 1 and 1/2 cups of plain flour , 1 tsp of baking power with 1/4 tsp of salt . In a separate bowl , whisk together 1/3 rd cup of honey ( 115 gm ) , 60 gm of melted butter, 1 lightly beaten egg , 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 450gm of mashed bananas.( set aside 75 gm of the mashed bananas ) Now make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the middle . Stir everything together with a spatula until you have a rough mix . Keep the mixture lumpy as too much mixing will make your muffins tough . Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean . While the cake is cooking , prepare the honey cream topping . in a small bowl , whisk together 170 gm of Greek yoghurt , 2 tbs of soft brown sugar , 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and the remaining 75 gm of the mashed bananas. Turn the cooked cake out on a wire rack to cool. Spoon the yoghurt mix over the top of the cake and drizzle 1/4 cup of honey over the yoghurt.

WEDNESDAY COOKING CLASS AT CHURCHILL NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

Today we welcomed Troy to our Wednesday class ,and prepared Kung Pao chicken along with honey cream muffins . Liz , Bev , Rhonda , Maudie and Troy , your effort showed in the amazing results you created ...

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Slice 500gm of skinless chicken filets into slices or cubes . In a small bowl mix together 1 tbs of rice wine vinegar , 1 dsp of sesame oil , 2 tbs of soy sauce ,3 tbs of water and finally mix in 1 tsp of corn flour . Add the sliced chicken to the mixture and set aside . Heat a pan and add a little peanut oil . Add 2 tbs of minced garlic and 1 tbs of minced ginger . Add the coated chicken . Stir until just cooked . Add 1 tsp of dried chilli ( or to your liking ), 2 tbs of chives , 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar ,1 dsp of brown sugar and 1 tsp of cracked black pepper . Stir fry till cooked through . Serve with cooked noodles or steamed asparagus and green beans or a mixed leaf salad with cherry tomatoes .

THE MANOR FRITATTA

I love making and creating fritattas . Fritattas are basically a quiche without the crust . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. The basics are to beat 10 eggs with 300ml of cream until well incorporated . Today I added 1 X 400 gm of creamed corn , 1 cup of mixed grain ,1 cup of grated Mozarella cheese , 1 cup of chopped capsicums from the last years harvest along with cherry tomatoes from the garden , rosemary, oregano , minced garlic , minced ginger and lemongrass . 500gm of diced ham and a good spoon of wholegrain mustard . Mix well and pour into a greased flan plate . Bake until risen and set . Fritattas can be frozen . Can be served hot or cold along with a lively chutney and a salad and or oven baked chips .

COUNTRY COOKING 15 TH FEB

In class tomorrow we will be preparing an aromatic Chinese dish.. Kung Pao chicken and an English classic honey cream muffins . I am really looking forward to sharing the recipes along with welcoming Kim to our Tuesday class and Troy to our Wednesday class .

FUGAZETTA RELLENA ( ONION BREAD STUFFED WITH MOZARELLA )

Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Place 500gm of plain OO flour and 10gm of salt in a bowl and combine 300ml of water , 4 tbs of EV olive oil and 20 gm of instant yeast . Knead until a smooth dough has formed , shape into a ball and let it rest in the bowl covered with cling film for 30 minutes . Thinly slice 2 red onions and set aside . Divide the dough ball in half . Stretch one half of the dough ball onto the bottom of a baking paper lined pizza tray . Mix together 300gm of mozarella cheese with 200gm of tasty cheese and 200 gm of crumbled feta cheese . Add the cheese mix to the dough and sprinkle liberally with dried oregano . Cover with the other half of the dough ball streched to cover the the cheese lined base . Add the sliced onions to the top of the bread and a sprinle of olive oil . Cook at 200 deg C for 30 minutes . Serve warm or cold ... this bread is delicious as a side to soup .

My son's Italian partner Tiana , loved it .( thank you )

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Using an 8 cm fluted cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds from 2 sheets of shortcrust pastry. Place rounds on the trays. Bake rounds for 10 minutes or until crisp. Set aside and cool. Slice and quarter 250 gm of fresh strawberries. Beat 300ml of cream in a small bowl until peaks form. Now spread strawberry jam over eight rounds. Place 4 rounds on a serving plate. Top shortcakes with half the strawberries and cream, then top with another shortcake, jam side up. Repeat with remaining strawberries and cream, sandwich together and top with remaining round. Dust with sifted icing sugar to serve.

TASTY BEEF MEATBALLS

Combine in a large bowl , 2 tbs of minced garlic , 2 spring onions finely chopped , 1 kg of minced beef , 70 gm of fine breadcrumbs , 50 gm of grated parmeasn cheese , 1 tbs of worcestershire sauce , 2 tbs of barbeque sauce . Mix well to combine and shape into golf ball sized balls . Heat 3 tbs of rice bran oil in a pan over a medium heat . Cook the meatballs in batches for 6 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through . drain on paper towelling . These really are tasty!

CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS

You will need 600 gm of chicken tenderloins and thread them on to 8 metal skewers ( if you don't have metal skewers use bamboo skewers that have been soaked for 30 minutes in water to stop them from burning through cooking ). Cook the skewers under the grill or on a bar be que , until browned and cooked through . While the skewers are cooking , combine together in a small saucepan 70 gm of crunchy peanut butter , 2 tbs of sweet chilli sauce and 2 tbs of water . Cook over a low heat , stirring until the sauce slightly thickens . Drizzle the sauce over the skewers to serve . Delicious .

MINESTRONE

Peel and finely chop 1 large onion ( 200gm ). Peel and dice 1 large carrot (180 gm ), 2 trimed celery sticks ( 300gm ). Now heat 1 tbs of rice bran oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add 2 tbs of minced garlic and the chopped onion Cook until the onion is transclucent and the garlic aromatic . Add the carrot and celery . Cook stirring for 5 minutes . Add 2 tbs of tomato paste and continue stir through over a medium heat . Add 500ml of chicken stock , 1 x 400 gm can of diced tomatoes and 375 ml of water . Bring this mix to a slow simmer. Meanwhile drain and rinse 1 x 400gm can of cannellini beans , adding to them to the saucepan with 180 gm of small pasta shells . Continue to simmer until the pasta is just cooked . If you have the time , cool the minestrone and refrigerate overnight . Soup needs time to develop flavour . Serve soup sprinkled with oregano leaves .

POTATO PATTIES

I peeled and boiled 8 potatoes , why 8 ,? well that is all that was left in the bag . There was less than 1/4 bag of shredded rainbow vege mix , so that went in the saucepan to boil with the potatoes . Boiling vegetables is such an old fashioned out of date way to soften vegetables , today it bought back memeories of my formative years . I mashed the drained vegetable mix added 2 tbs of wheat germ along with 2tbs of minced garlic , 1 tbs of minced ginger and finally 1 dsp of ground cumin . Rolled golf ball sized shapes of the potato mix and dipped them in a well beaten 3 egg mix and then coated them in a crumbed tamari coated almond mix . Oven baked them in a a preheated 180 deg C oven for 25 minutes .... These are delicious , can be served as a side to a meal or on their own hot or cold .

TOMATO AND ONION RICE

Peel and chop 1 onion . Heat 3 tbs of rice bran oil in a large pan over a medium heat . Add the onion to the pan along with 2 tbs of minced garlic,1 dsp of cumin . Stir while cooking for 3 minutes . Add another 3 tbs of rice bran oil to the pan along with 2 cups of rice . Stir until the rice becomes slightly translucent . slice and chop 4 tomatoes and add the pan , continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes . Pour in 750 ml of vegetable stock and stir to prevent rice clumping . Bring to the boil , then reduce heat and cover the pan with scrunched up baking paper and simmer till liquid is completely absorbed and cooked through .

BEEF RENDANG

In a large bowl mix together ,1 tsp of salt, 1 dsp of soft brown sugar , 1 tbs of tamarind paste . Toss 1 kg of cubed chuck steak in the mixture . Now add 120 gm of desiccated coconut making sure ithe coconut and beef mixture is well combined . Set the bowl with the beef mixture aside . Ok, now using a medium sized bowl add 2 peeled and thinly quartered onions along with 1 tsp / 1 dsp of dried chilli ( your call ),1 tube of lemongrass paste (80 gm ), 2 tbs of minced ginger and finally 2 tbs of minced garlic . Stir till well combined . Heat 3 tbs of rice bran oil over a medium heat . Add the spice mix to the pan , add 1 tsp of tumeric , 1x 100gm jar of Kaffir lime leaves ( drained and finely chopped ),3 tbs of chopped palm sugar ( otherwise known as jaggery , coconut sugar ) , 3 tbs of soy sauce , 1 tsp of salt and 1 dsp of cracked black pepper . Continue to cook and stir for 3 minutes . Spray the bowl of your slow cooker , place the contents of the pan into the bowl of the slow cooker . Add the beef mix and stir through . Stir through 1 x 400ml can of coconut cream and 1 tbs of coriander . Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until meat is tender . This is traditionally served with rice .

ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN TENDERLOINS

This week in class we prepared almond crusted chicken nuggets , today at home I prepared almond crusted chicken tenderloins . Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper . Pat dry the chicken tenderloins and brush the chicken pieces with peanut oil on both sides . Mix together 1 cup of finely chopped almonds with 5 tbs of finely grated parmesan cheese and 4 tbs of sesame seeds. Coat the chicken pieces with the almond mixture , coating them thoroughly. Spread the chicken pieces out in a single layer on a baking tray . Drizzle a little honey over and place in pre heated oven for 10 minutes . Turn the chicken over and lightly drizzle with honey and continue to bake for another 10 minutes , until they are cooked through and the crust is golden brown . Remove from oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving . Serve sprinkled with chives .

SALMON AND ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

Preheat your oven to 150 deg C. Line a 20 cm square cake pan with baking paper . Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil , add 12 asparagus spears and cook till tender . Drain and rinse under cold water . Slice asparagus spears into 1 cm lengths . Whisk together 10 eggs with 4 tbs of dried dill in a bowl . Now stir in the sliced asparagus and 4000gm of tinned and drained red salmon . Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle with 60 gm of grated parmesan cheese . Bake for 30 minutes or until just set . Remove from the oven and allow to cool . Cut into slices and serve warm with chips and a salad or cold as a snack or light lunch .

FRUIT LEATHER

This recipe ticks all the boxes . It is healthy , made with fresh fruit , but takes 8 hours to prepare . is it worth it ? Yes . Preheat your oven to 50 deg C. Spray and line 2 baking trays with baking paper . Place 800 gm of ripe stone fruit , chopped and with skin on in a pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of water . Simmer , stirring occasionally until fruit releases its juice . Cover and continue to cook over a low heat for 15 minutes ,stirring occasionally , until very soft . Remove the stones . Blitz the fruit in a blender or food processor until smooth . Now add 1 very ripe banana and blitz again until smooth . Pour and divide this mixture between the 2 baking trays , spread out evenly .place the trays in the oven for 8 hours or until firmed into a gel that peels easily off the baking paper . To serve , cut into long strips and roll up.

SILVERSIDE AND VEGETABLES IN GINGER .

I placed a piece of silverside in my slow cooker along with a 2 litre bottle of gingerale, and added 2 onions peeled and quartered along with 1 dsp of ground ginger . I switched the dial to low and let it simmer away for 8 hours . When I returned from class the aroma wafting throught the house was warm and inviting . The silverside was tender to touch , sliced and removed to a serving dish . The liquid stock was too good to waste and was used to assist the cooking of peeled and thickly sliced sweet potatoes , marrow , beans and brocoli . The hint of ginger in the vegetables just added to the perfection of this dish .