BANANA BREAD

Ingredients you need ... 125gm of butter/marg , 125 gm of castor sugar , 2 lightly beaten eggs , 3 mashed bananas , 250 gm of plain flour , 1/4 tsp of salt , 3/4 tsp of bi carb of soda . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray . Place the butter / marg in a bowl of your electric mixer along with the castor sugar and beat until they are creamed. Add the beaten eggs , mashed bananas , flour , salt and bi carbonate of soda . Mix until just combined . Place the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean . Serve hot or cold , sliced with butter / marg . Delicious .

MEXICAN CHICKEN

I was asked if I could come up with a Mexican dish for a friend . This is the dish I came up with , but I shared it with my family . I will share the recipe with my friend and I hope she will enjoy making and sharing this Mexican dish as I did . Ingredients .....55gm of plain flour , 2 chicken breast fillets , 3 tbs of canola oil ,1 onion thinly sliced , 1 red capsicum , deseeded and thinly sliced , 300ml of chicken stock, 25 gm of raisins , 1 x 400gm can of diced tomatoes , 1 tsp of chilli powder ,1 tsp of ground cinnamon ,1/2 tsp of ground cumin , 25gm of plain chocolate finely chopped . Sprigs of fresh coriander to serve . Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Spread the flour on a plate and season with black pepper . Coat the chicken fillets in the seasoned flour , shaking off any excess flour , reserving any remaining seasoned flour. Heat the oil in an ovenproof dish . ( Dutch oven , terrine ) Add the chicken fillets and cook over a medium heat , turning occasionally for about 5 minutes . Now transfer the fillets to a plate . Add the onion and capsicum to the dish , cook over a low heat until tender . Sprinkle over the remaining seasoned flour , stirring constantly for 1 minute . Gradually stir in the stock , then add the raisins , diced tomatoes , , chilli powder , cinnamon , cumin and chocolate . Season with black pepper , bring to a simmer , stirring constantly . Return the chicken fillets to the ovenproof dish , cover and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes . Serve from the oven , garnished with coriander .

TERIYAKI CHICKEN

A dish best prepared the night before...or prepare the marinade and prepare the trimmed chicken wings and then the marinade , coat the wings and they can be frozen till needed. Ingredients......500gm of chicken wings, trimmed, canola oil for greasing. For the marinade you will need 175 ml of soy sauce, 125 ml of coca cola, 2 tbs of orange juice, 1 tbp of minced ginger, 2 tbs of minced garlic,cracked black pepper and chilli flakes to taste. To prepare the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken wings and turn to coat, at this stage you can cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator or place the tray covered in your freezer. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Place the chicken or defrosted chicken in a well greased baking pan, reserving the excess marinade. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Now remove the baking pan from the oven, move the chicken around in the pan and baste with the reserved marinade and then continue to cook in the oven for 15 minutes . The chicken is well served with a mixed leaf salad and chips... Enjoy.

ZUCCHINI PESTO SOUP

INGREDIENTS .. 1 tbs of canola oil ,1 large onion , peeled and finely chopped ,2 tbs of minced garlic ,3 cups of chicken stock ,750 gm of thinly sliced zucchini , 60 ml / 1/4 cup of cream ,toasted ciabatta or sourdough bread to serve . THE PESTO .... 50 gm /1 cup of fresh basil,25gm / 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese ,2 tbs of pine nuts , 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil . To prepare the soup , heat the oil in a medium /large saucepan , add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 5minutes , or until the onion is tender . Add the stock and bring to a slow simmer , then add the zucchini and bring the mixture to a slow simmer again and simmer until the zucchini is very soft . Now to make the pesto .... Place the basil , Parmesan , pine nuts in your blender / processor until finely chopped . Then add the olive oil and process until smooth . Spoon into a small bowl . Let's go back to the zucchini mixture and add it to your blender / processor and blend until smooth. Now pour the mixture back into the pot and stir in the cream and 2 tbs of the pesto. Reheat the soup over a medium / low heat until hot. Season with cracked black pepper and drizzle with a little remaining pesto between bowls . Excess pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 10 days.

PASSIONFRUIT BUTTER CAKE ROLL

The ingredients you need for this butter cake roll are all pantry staples apart from the passionfruit pulp ( thanks to Maureen and Roel I used the pulp of 6 fresh passionfruit ) . 125gm of butter/ marg ( room temp) ,3/4 cup of castor sugar ,2 eggs ( lightly beaten ),2 cups of self raising flour ,1/2 cup of milk ,1/2 cup of passionfruit pulp . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . I chose to use roll pans , you can use a loaf pan , whatever you choose make sure the pan/s are well greased . So let's get started , combine the butter , castor sugar , eggs , flour and milk in the bowl of your electric mixer and mix until all the ingredients are combined . Add the passionfruit to the mixture and beat for 5 minutes until the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into the prepared pan or divide the batter between 2 prepared roll pans . Bake in the preheated oven 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean . Turn onto a wire rack to cool . If you baked your cake in a loaf pan , you may want to ice it .. ICING .. Place 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar into a bowl with 1 tsp of softened marg / butter and 2 tbs of milk . Stir into a smooth paste and add the pulp of 1 passionfruit . When mixture is smooth enough , spread over the cold cake .

MOCK BRAINS ....a recipe from 1945 .

The ingredients required for this long forgotten recipe ...4 ozs "three bears"rolled oats, 8 ozs water, 1 ozs of chopped onions, 1 ozs of butter or margarine, pinch of chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste. The Method .... Put all ingredients into a double boiler saucepan, cook slowly for about an hour. Allow to cool, spoon into irregular shapes. Dip in beaten egg , roll in bread crumbs and fry to a golden brown. Decorate with parsley and serve with bacon. Please note this is how the recipe is written and just saying a double boiler is NOT a steamer . 'Thank goodness for google. '.

PLANNING MEAT RATION MEALS

This is a booklet that was published by the Australian Government of the time during World War 2. The Prime minister at the time was John Curtin,(1941 -1945 ). I want to thank Bev Zygicki, a long time Churchill resident and volunteer worker for giving me her mother's copy of the paper booklet that was distributed to every household during World War 2, introducing purchase coupons and meal suggestions for rationing which were put in place to share the meat produced in Australia and sent to feed our soldiers and allies . Which meant our home supply was rationed but workable with coupons. Many thanks Bev Zyglicki ....A piece of history resurfaced .

A CHEESY BROWN RICE PIE .

Ingredients required...170 gm of cooked brown rice or a grain combination of your choice . If you are short of time it is okay to use the pre cooked rice combinations ( make sure you measure it out .), 250 gm of grated tasty cheese ,4tbs of grated parmesan cheese ,2 spring onions chopped ,2 zucchini grated , 1 red pepper diced , 1 x 315 gm can of asparagus, cut and drained , 3 tbs of pine nuts , 3 eggs beaten , 200gm of Greek yghurt . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease a 23 cm /9" spring form pan . All you have to do now is combine the rice , Cheddar cheese , Parmesan cheese ,, spring onions , zucchini and red pepper , asparagus , pine nuts , eggs and yoghurt . Season to taste with minced garlic and sweet paprika . Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan . Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven or until the pie is firm . Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing from the pan . To serve slice into wedges .

HONEY CUSTARD POTS

Ingredients needed, 3 tbs of honey ,1 dsp of vanilla extract ,500 ml of hot milk , 4 eggs beaten , 1 tsp of ground cinnamon , extra honey for serving . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Stir the honey and vanilla extract into the hot milk . In a medium bowl whisk together the 4 beaten eggs with 4 tbs of the hot milk . Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture . Whisk for a little longer and the strain , divide the mixture between 4 ramequins . Place the ramequins in a baking dish with enough boiling water to come half way up the sides of the ramequins . Bake for 30 minutes until the custards are set . Remove from the water bath and drizzle with a little honey ove reach custard and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon .

A COOK’S WORD CHALLENGE

1.Dried, cured and smoked brisket.(8 letters). 2.Dough made with flour and eggs.(5 letters). 3.A microorganism responsible for making bread rise.(5 letters). 4.Many dishes are flavoured with this spice, especially food from the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia.(5 letters). 5.Used in bread and cakes, to make tahini and add texture to other foods.(6 letters). 6.Light and fluffy with added air.(6 letters). 7.A heated spice.(6 letters). 8.Clarified, unsalted butter.(4 letters). 9.A fruit whose juice and zest is used to add a tart flavour.(5 letters). 10.These are a common food item and have a hard shell made of calcium carbonate.(4 letters). 11.A ball of sweet or savoury dough or pastry.(8 letters).

THE WIBBLY WOBBLY PUDDING

When it comes to desserts we are all kids at heart and this pudding is very easily assembled. The ingredients you will need , 100gm packet of instant pudding dessert mix , 500ml of cold milk , 160 ml of cream , 1 packet of jelly crystals ,a packet of mini pavlova cups, a jar of maraschino cherries with stems on , tips and leaves of fresh basil to dress the pavlova cups. To begin dissolve the packet of jelly in 250 ml of boiling water and stir until the crystals are dissolved ,then stir through 1 cup of cold water . Pour the jelly liquid into a serving dish and refrigerate for 2 hours . When the jelly is set , prepare the pudding mix ,place the chilled milk and cream in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on a low spead for 1 minute and then increase the speed and mix for for another 2 minutes . Now place a basil tip in each pavlova cup and top with 1/4 tsp of the pudding mix , completing the pavlova cup with a stemmed marischino cherry Then pour the thickened pudding over the set jelly in the serving dish , place back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then place a basil leaf over the top of the pudding to serve as a base for each prepared pavlova cup . Place back in the refrigerator till ready to serve . Simple and delicious .

BAKED BEAN FRITTATA

This dish is for you Stan and Elaine Towers . I was in Churchill Woolworths and Stan saw me placing a can of baked beans into my basket, after exchanging greetings , Stan pointed to the baked beans and suggested I maybe having baked beans on toast ,not quite but a little more substantial . What I did was go home and prepared baked bean frittata , hope you guys enjoy this ... Ingredients you will need , 3 potatoes peeled and sliced , 1 sweet potato , peeled and sliced ,1 can of baked beans ( 420 gm ), 2 eggs well beaten , 150 gm of bacon pieces , 1 small onion peeled and sliced , 1 tbs of minced garlic , a glug of oil / 1 dsp of ghee or butter/ marg( your choice ) , grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tbs of dried parsley . I x ovenproof quiche dish , sprayed with cooking oil . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . First step is to boil /steam the potatoes and sweet potato together until tender , then drain and mash until smooth . While the potatoes are cooking , cook your sliced onion in a small pan with oil / or whatever your choice until tender over a medium heat . Now line your quiche pan with the mash mixture , base and sides . Very lightly sprinkle the sides and base with nutmeg . In a separate bowl mix together the bacon pieces with the beaten eggs and the canned baked beans , cooked onions , minced garlic and dried parsley . Pour the mixture in the potato lined dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese . Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until set and golden . I served the baked bean frittata with lightly buttered toast . You were right Mr Towers , baked beans on toast ( Noelene's version ).

SALMON FRITTATA

Ingredients ....15gm of butter/ marg , 1 onion peeled and chopped, 2 spring onions chopped ,1 small green capsicum chopped ,1 leek ( white part only )chopped ,6 chery tomatoes chopped , 155gm smoked salmon chopped , 4 eggs ( beaten ), 2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 dsp of sweet paprika ,185 ml of milk . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease a 20 cm round flan dish . Melt the butter /marg in a fry pan over a medium heat, add the onion , spring onions , green capsicum and leek , cook , stirring until the onion is tender . Add the tomtoes and salmon, stir through to combine , then cool to room temperature . (about 1 minute ). Cool to room temperature . Beat the eggs , milk , paprika and garlic together n a bowl . Add to the salmon mixture . Pour into the prepared flan pan . Place in the preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes or until firm . Serve with a mixed green leaf side .

CABBAGE ROLLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients .....8 large cabbage leaves , 125ml of tomato paste , 125 ml of tomato sauce , 125 ml of orange juice , RICE FILLING ...75gm of cooked rice , 60 gm of chopped nuts , 4 spring onions chopped , 2 tbs of minced garlic ,1 egg lightly beaten , 70 gm of grated mozzarella cheese , 1 tbs of chilli flakes ( optional ) , 1 dsp of dried marjoram . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Trim thick stalks from the 8 cabbage leaves . Boil or steam the leaves until wilted . Drain and set aside . To prepare the filling , combine the rice , peanuts , spring onions , egg ,garlic , cheese , chilli and marjoram . Divide the combined filling between the cabbage leaves . Fold in the sides and roll up to form neat parcels . Place side by side in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish . Combine the tomato paste , tomato sauce and orange juice , pour over the rolls and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes .

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients required ....200gm of white chocolate broken into pieces , 90ml of cream , 60 gm of melted butter/ marg ,3 eggs separated, 75 gm of dark chocolate melted . Place the white chocolate pieces and the cream in a medium saucepan over a low heat . Cook , stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture is combined . Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly . Mix together the egg yolks with the melted butter / marg and then beat this mixture into the chocolate mixture and place the saucepan back over a low heat . Cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens . Remove from heat and cool slightly . Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form . Fold the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mixture , pour the mixture into serving dishes / glasses . Chill for 2 hours or until set . Drizzle with the melted dark chocolate and chill until ready to serve .

SEAFOOD LASAGNE

The ingredients you will need for the seafood lasagne ....2 tbs of canola oil , 1 leek sliced ( white part only ),440gm can of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of tomato paste ,1 tbs of dried tarragon , 500gm of uncooked prawns , shelled , deveined and chopped ,250 gm of firm white fish fillets cut into pieces, 1 tbs of minced garlic ,1 packet of ready to use lasagne sheets , 90 gm of grated mozzarella cheese . You will also need a deep sided ovenproof dish / large casserole dish Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Let's get started ...... Heat 2 tbs of canola oil in a large frypan over a medium heat , add the sliced leek and cook until tender . Stir in the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste and dried tarragon, simmer uncovered until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly . Stir in the prawns and fish pieces along with the minced garlic . Cover and simmer for 4 minutes then turn off the heat . Spray the ovenproof dish with cooking oil , then spread 1/3 of the sauce over the base , cover with lasagne sheets . Repeat layering with the sauce and lasagne sheets , ending with a layer of sauce . Top with the grated mozzarella . Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven .

CHICKEN TIKKA STARTER

Ingredients required .....700gm of chicken breasts . For the marinade you will need .....150ml of natural yoghurt, 1 tbs of minced garlic , 2 tbs of minced garlic ,1 tsp of chilli powder , 1 tbs of ground coriander ,1/2 tsp of salt ,juice of 1 lemon , 2 tbs of canola oil ,4 metal skewers . First step is to skin, bone, and cube the chicken breasts. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl , add the chicken cubes , stir well, cover and leave in the refrigerator overnight . The next day thread the chicken on to 4 skewers and cook under a hot grill for 5 minutes turning frequently . Remove the chicken from the skewers and arrange on individual serving plates . Serve with sliced onions , tomatoes , lemon wedges and parsley leaves .

YOUR VERY OWN CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

You will need ......1 chicken carcass, 1 peeled and quartered onion, bouquet garni, 1.2 litres of chicken stock, 150 gm of cooked chicken pieces (deboned), 300ml of milk, 50 gm of plain flour, 2 tbs of water, 1 tbs of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, 150 ml of cream, croutons to garnish. Place the chicken carcass in a pot along with the quartered onion and bouquet garni in the chicken stock and simmer for 1 hour. Then strain the liquid and return the liquid to the pot. Neatly slice the cooked chicken meat. Add the chicken meat and milk to the stock . Blend the flour with the water and slowly add to the stock, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Season the soup with lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and ladel into warmed soup bowls and garnish with croutons.

HOME MADE MONTE CARLOS BISCUITS

You will biting at the bit to share your own home made Monte Carlos biscuits . You will need simple pantry staples...125gm of butter/ marg( softened ) , 170 gm of soft brown sugar , 1 dsp of vanilla exract ,1 egg ( lightly beaten ),125gm of plain flour , 60 gm of self raising flour , 90 gm of desicatted coconut , 75 gm of rolled oats , 155gm of raspberry jam. FOR THE BUTTER CREAM ......60 gm of butter / marg ( softened ), 75 gm of icing sugar ,1 tsp of vanilla extract . Okay , let's get started . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease and a baking tray with baking paper . Place 125 gm of softened butter/ marg in a bowl of your electric mixer with the brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy . Next add the egg and the 2 flour mixture , coconut and rolled oats . Mix well to combine . What I'm about to share with you is the most important part of the recipe ...you are about to shape your biscuits , please make sure they are all of uniform size and appearance, so that each pair is perfectly matched when sandwiched together . Now , roll tablespoons of the batter into evenly shaped balls , place on the prepared oven trays and flatten slightly with a fork . bake for 12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden . Transfer to wire racks to cool . To prepare the butter cream filling , place the butter / marg , icing sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon / whisk , until light and fluffy . Spread half the now cold biscuits with raspberry jam and top with butter cream . Top with remaining half biscuit . Enjoy , these are delicious with friends , a pot of tea or coffee.

MIDSUMMER CHICKEN

For this chicken summer salad you will need 500gm of cooked chicken meat , skinned and boned, 5 tbs of white wine vinegar , 1 tbs of lemon juice ,1 tbs of finely chopped onion ,1 dsp of dried tarragon , 1 tsp of onion salt ,4 oranges , peeled and segmented, 400gm bag of mixed salad leaves , 60 gm of pine nuts ,75 gm of creme fraiche ,150 ml of sour cream , a few drops of sriracha / tabasco sauce , a large serving bowl. First cut the chicken / chicken pieces into thin strips . In a lagre mixing bowl place the chicken strips , vinegar , lemon juice , onion , onion salt, and orange segments , mix well to combine . Cover, set aside and leave marinate for 20 minutes . Meanwhile place the bag of mixed salad leaves into your large serving dish to line the bowl. Now drain and retrain the marinade , sprinkle the chicken and orange segments mixture with the pine nuts and spoon the mixture on the salad leaves . To prepare your salad dressing , mix together the creme fraiche with the sour cream , stir through a few drops of the sriracha / tabasco ( according to your taste ) , mix well to combine . Pour the dressing over the chicken salad . You can sprinkle the salad with fried noodles or thinly sliced orange rind without pith .

THE MANOR ....... PEARS WITH MUSTARD CREAM MAYONNAISE

I serve pears with mustard cream mayonnaise along with an assorted cheese board , olives , pancetta , brown rice crackers and sliced homemade sourdough bread . You will need ...2 ripe eating pears , 2 tbs of lemon juice , 4 tbs of your preferred mayonnaise , 1 tbs of wholegrain mustard , 2 tbs of room temp creme fraiche , 4 Cos lettuce leaves and a few flaked almonds . Okay let's get started ....peel the pears and slice in half , keeping them in good shape . Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and core . Brush each pear half with the lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring . Place the pear halves on Cos lettuce leaves . Carefully slice the pears thinly , retaining the pear shape Whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard and creme fraiche and coat the pear halves smoothly . Place the pears on serving plates around your cheese , olive and pancetta serving board .

FRIED WONTONS WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

The ingredients you will need ...450 gm of wonton wrappers , 3 tbs of soy sauce ,1 tbs of rice wine , 500gm of minced pork ,1 dsp of soft brown sugar , 2 tbs of minced garlic ,1 tbs of minced ginger ,225 gm of frozen peas thawed ,1 tbs of sweet paprika ,canola oil for frying . Place the soy sauce ,rice wine and pork mince in a large bowl and mix well , Now add the sugar , garlic , ginger , sweet paprika and thawed peas to the mixture and combine well . Spoon 1 tbs of the mixture on to the centre of each wonton . Dampen the edges of the wonton to form half circles , press the edges together firmly . Heat the canola in oil in a saucepan or your deep fryer . Fry the wontons , a few at a time until lightly golden , drain on kitchen paper . Serve with a sweet and sour sauce or you can prepare my dipping sauce . Dipping sauce ...... In a pan mix together 2 tbs of minced garlic ,1 tbs of canola oil ,2 tbs of sauce soy, 3 tbs of runny honey ,2 tbs of red wine vingar , 2 tbs of fish sauce , 1 dsp of sriracha sauce . Stir over a low heat until well combined , bring to a slow simmer , remove to a dipping dish.

THAI FRIED PORK BALLS

The ingredients needed for this dish are , 2 coriander roots and stems roots and stems , finely chopped ,1 dsp of black pepper ,3 tbs of minced garlic ,1 tsp of sugar ,500gm of minced pork ,3 tbs of fish sauce ,1 tsp of sweet paprika or if you like a bit more heat 1 dsp of chilli flakes, flour for dusting , 4 tbs of canola / rice bran oil , extra coriander leaves to garnish . Okay , let's get started ,place the coriander roots and stems , pepper minced garlic , sugar,paprika / chill flakes in your processor and process to a paste , add the pork , fish sauce and mix well . Divide the well blended mixture into balls the size of walnuts and dust with flour . Heat the oil in a frypan over a medium heat , fry the meatballs in batches till no liquid is released when pierced with a skewer . Pile the pork balls into a warmed serving dish and dress with fresh coriander leaves . I serve the pork balls with a steamed mixed grain and boiled brocoli / brussel sprouts and cauliflower , you decide on the vegetable . Delicious .

BANANA ICE CREAM ,( The old fashioned way )

Yes , I have all the whiz bang appliances , but nothing beats the old fashioned home made banana ice cream . Come on , I dare you , have a go .You will need an ice cream scoop , if you want to be presentation perfect . It's SIMPLY delicious . To prepare the ice cream you will need .....450 ml of milk ,175 gm of castor sugar ,3 eggs beaten , 1 tsp of vanilla extract ,450 ml of cream , 6 bananas , mashed . Place the milk , sugar and eggs in a small pan / pot and heat gently over a med / low heat , stirring constantly until the mixture thickens . Strain into a bowl and add the vanilla extract . Leave to cool . Whip the cream until slightly thickened and fold in the cooled custard . Stir in the mashed bananas . Pour into a container , cover and freeze until firm . Transfer to your refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to soften .

SUNFLOWER SEED VEGETABLE BAKE

The ingredients needed for this dish ..450 gm of potatoes cut into quarters ,225 gm of sliced carrots ,1 onion chopped ,50 gm of sunflower seeds , 1/4 tsp of marjoram , 2 leeks sliced into rings ( white part only ), 2 tbs of minced garlic ,2 zucchini sliced ,100gm of sliced mushrooms ,1 tbs of dried grated Parmesan , 1 tbs of chopped parsley . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Lightly grease an ovenproof dish . Cook the potaoes and carrots together in salted boiling water , then drain and mash . Fry the onions and sunflower seeds in a frypan with 2 tbs of canola oil until the onions are tender . Stir the onion and sunflower mix into the mashed potatoes and carrots , add the marjoram and season with sweet paprika. Fry the leeks and 2 tbs of minced garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes . Season with a little cracked pepper add the sliced zucchini and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes . Place half the leek mixture in the ovenproof dish . Spread half the potato and carrot mixture on top. Add the rest of the leek mixture , and then top with the remaining potatoe mix . Sprinkle the Parmesan over and bake for 25 minutes or until golden . Sprinkle the cooked dish with chopped parsley . I served this with slices of my sourdough bread .

CHIVES , PARSLEY AND BACON DAMPER

Damper is the bread of the bush . Damper is traditionally made in a cast iron pot with a lid ( a camp oven ). The entire pot is covered in hot wood coals or placed in a hole in the ground and covered with hot wood coals . Damper can be easily prepared in your kitchen and cooked in your preheated oven on an oven tray . Damper dough can be prepared ahead of time and frozen , and defrosted for 8 - 12 hours in your refrigerator . Cooked damper is best served fresh . The ingredients needed for ham and cheese damper ....3 tbs of marg / butter ,2 and 1/2 cups of self raising flour ,1 dsp of parsley flakes ,1 tsp of dried chives , 1 cup of grated tasty cheese ,200gm of chopped bacon pieces ,1 egg and 3/4 cup of milk . Let's get started , Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Rub the margarine into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs . Stir in parsley flakes ,chives , cheese and bacon pieces , mix well . Mix together the egg and milk and then stir through the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon and mix to a soft dough . Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly .(at this point you can wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the freezer until required .) Shape into a cod and place on a baking paper covered oven tray . , cut a deep cross in the centre of the cob . Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the hob sounds hollow when tapped underneath . Serve hot with butter .... Mmmm delicious .

PALMIERS

This is a great way to use up any left over puff pastry , or sheets of puff pastry . For this recipe I used premade sheets of puff pastry . Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Brush each pastry square with softened butter / marg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar . Fold the two opposite edges of the pastry half way to the centre . Sprinkle lightly with more cinnomon sugar and fold taking the edges to the centre . Sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar and fold one half of the pastry over the other half . press lightly to join . Cut the pastry roll into 18 pieces and place on a baking paper lined baking tray . Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden . N.B.The secret to making these pastries is in the way the pastry is folded . Palmiers can be served cooled from the oven or topped with whipped cream . Palmiers without the cream can be frozen .

CHEESE AND BACON MUFFINS

The ingredients needed for for the savoury muffins. 400gm of chopped bacon , 1 egg lightly beaten , 250 ml of milk , 60 ml of canola oil , 2 tbs of chopped parsley ,250 gm of self raising flour ,90 gm of tasty grated cheese . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease a 12 pan , 1/2 cup capacity muffin tray . Place the lightly beaten egg , milk , oil and parsley in a bowl and mix to combine . In a separate bowl combine the flour , grated cheese and bacon to the egg mixture and mix until combined . Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin tray. Cook in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a skwer inserted comes out clean .