FRUIT AND NOODLE PUDDING

Noodles for dessert....why not? Ingredients....250gm of fettucine noodles, 1 large cooking apple , peeled and grated, 3/4 cup of soft brown sugar, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, 1/3 cup of raisins, 45gm of butter/ marg melted, 3 eggs separated. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Liberaaly well grease an ovenproof dish. Drop the noodles into a saucepan of boiling water that you have added a dsp of oil to. Stir gently and cook for until just tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with fresh water, drain again and turn into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the grated apple, sugar, spices, raisins and melted butter/ marg. Now add the lightly beaten egg yolks, stirring through the noodle mix. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold through gently to fully incorporate. Place the mixture in the prepared ovenproof dish, cover with a sheet of baking paper and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes... Serve hot or cold .....it is delicious and filling.

CORNED TUNA AND CHIPS

Most of the ingredients for this really tasty dish will already be in your pantry and best of all the whole dish can be prepared and cooked in 40 minutes. Ingredients......30gm of butter/ marg, 1/4 cup of flour, 1 and 1/4 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese, cracked black pepper, a sprinkle of dried dill, 1 x 220gm can of tuna, 1 x 420gm can of corn kernels(drained), 2 large tomatoes, finely sliced, 75gm packet of salt and vinegar chips. Preheat your oven to 180 deg F. Spray a rectangular ovenproof dish and line the sides and base with the tomato slices and sprinkle with the dried dill. In a small bowl mix together the milk and flour until smooth. Melt the butter/ marg in a large pan. Now add the milk mixture slowly and stir until well combined. Simmer for 2 minutes and stir through the grated cheese and season with the cracked pepper. Flake the tuna and add to the sauce with the liquid from the can and finally fold in the drained corn kernels. Spoon the the tuna mixture into the tomato lined tray and crumble the salt and vinegar potato crisps over top. Place the tray in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp. Serve with buttered sourdough bread and or a leafy mixed green salad.

PEANUT AND GINGER LOAF

Ingredients...3 cups of self raising flour, pinch of salt, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 3/4 cup of soft brown sugar, 1/2 cup of sultanas, 1/3 cup of candied ginger , chopped finely, 1/2 cup of granulted nuts,90 gm of butter/ marg, 4 tbs of black treacle, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 2/3 rds cup of milk. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease a 2kg loaf pan and line the base and sides with baking paper. Mix together in a large bowl the flour, salt, ground ginger, sugar, sultanas, chopped candied ginger and peanuts. Mix the beaten eggs and milk together in another bowl. Now place the treacle and butter/marg into a small saucepan and heat gently until melted. Add the treacle mixture to the dry ingredients and gradually beat in the egg and milk mixture until well blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 1 and 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. This spiced loaf can be eaten as a plain cake drizzled with a little honey or cut into slices and buttered.

LIGHT CHEESY ROLL SAVOURY RING .

Ingredients......2 cups of plain flour,1 tbs and 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of paprika , 1 and 1/2 cups of grated mozarella cheese, 4 tbs of commercial relish( any large pieces chopped) 1 egg lightly beaten, 2/3 rds of a cup of milk. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Mix the flour , baking powder, salt and paprika into a large mixing bowl. Rub in 1 and 1/2 cups of grated cheese and the relish . Beat the egg and milk together in a separate bowl. Pour most of the milk mixture into the cheese mixture , reserving a little for glazing. Mix to a dough with your hands. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and form them into balls . Place them onto a greased and lined baking tray to form a circle, leaving space between each roll. Brush the balls with the milk and egg mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, the rolls can be served warm or cold.

FRUIT AND NUT SHORTBREADS

Definition..shortbread begins back with the medieval biscuit bread, The leftover dough from the bread making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a type of rusk type biscuit....the word biscuit means twice cooked. Gradually the yeast in the bread was replaced by butter and the biscuit bread developed into shortbread . Ingredients.....375gm plain four, a pinch of salt, 75gm of castor sugar, 280gm of butter/marg (softened), 60gm of dried sultanas/ raisins(chopped), 60gm of granulated nuts. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease an oven tray and line with baking paper and lightly sprinkle with castor sugar. Here is a very old recipe .... Mix the flour, salt and castor sugar together in a large bowl. Using your hands rub the butter into the flour mix and knead to a dough. Finally knead in the fruit and nuts. Divide the dough into two and shape into 2 circles on the baking paper lined sheetsand sprinkle the top of the circles with castor sugar . Bake in the preheated oven on the middle shelf for 40 minutes or until the shortbread rounds begin to turn golden . Remove the oven sheets from the oven and carefully slice with a sharp knife. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

CREME CHANTILLY / CHANTILLY CREAM

Either way chantilly cream is just a flavoured cream whipped cream, thickened with egg whites that makes a little cream go a long way. Ingredients.....6 tbs of cream , 1 egg white, 1 dsp of castor sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Wash and dry the beaters thoroughly and then beat the egg white until stiff, add the sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until glossy. Finalluy fold the meringue into the thickened cream until well blended. You can double / triple the ingredients for a larger amount of chantilly cream , but remember that the above amounts will go a long way.

KIDNEYS WITH MUSTARD SAUCE

Ingredients......8 lamb kidneys, 30gm of butter/marg, 1 small onion peeled and sliced, cracked black pepper to taste, 250 gm of sliced mushrooms, 1 tbs of wholegrain mustard,4 tbs of milk, 4 tbs of cream, 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, 4 cups of cooked rice or mixed grain of your choice. Trim and slice the kidneys, then saute in the butter in large pan. Remove the sauteed kidneys and keep them warm. Now add the sliced mushrooms and onion to the pan adding a little mor butter or marg if it has been absorbed before the onion is tender, season to taste. In a separate small bowl mix together the wholgrain mustard, milk and cream, then stir this mix through the onions and mushrooms. Finally add the kidneys and reheat to a slow simmer and remove from heat. Fold the ground nutmeg and the cracked pepper through the cooked rice/ grains. Divide the rice/ grains between the serving plates and spoon over the kidneys with mustard sauce.

WHOLEMEAL TREACLE SCONES...

Ingredients.....2 cups of self raising wholemeal flour,1 tsp of salt, 60gm of butter/ marg, 2 tbs of treacle (warmed), 6 tbs of milk. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Plce the flour and salt in a bowl and mix. Rub in the butter/ marg, then stir in the warmed treacle and 6 tbs of milk, with a bread knife. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench and lightly shape the dough with your hands to about 1/2" thick and using a 2 "/ 5cm cutter , cut out 10 rounds. Place the scones on a greased and lightly floured baking sheet. Brush the top of the scones with a little milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until well risen.

YORKSHIRE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Ingredients.....185gm of plain block chocolate, 3 tbs of black coffee, 3 tbs of butter/ marg, 1 dsp of Apera ( dry sherry),3 eggs (separated). Break the chocolate into pieces into a small bowl and heat in your microwave in 20 second increments until smooth and melted. Now stir through the coffee through the melted chocolate, followed by the butter and the sherry stirring well to combine. In a small bowl beat 3 egg yolks and add the yolks a little at a time to the chocolate mixture. In a bowl use your electric beater to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and then fold gently with a whisk into the chocolate mix. Divide the mixture between 6 small dishes and cool in the refrigerator. By the time this dessert is served to my adult children and their partners, my grandsons have moved to the lounge area, with their devices and a cone filled with homemade ice-cream, which they hepled make.

TUNA COOKIES

Ingredients....80gm can of tuna in oil, 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour, 1/2 cup of powdered milk, 2 tbs of rice bran oil, 1 egg lightly beaten. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl upend the can of tuna and mash the tuna, add the flour and powdered milk to combine. Stir /4 cup of water, the oil and the egg. Use a dsp to dollop the mixture onto the lined tray. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze and defrost as required.

BIRCHER BOWL (V)

Ingredients....1 small apple, unpeeled and chopeed into small cubes, 6 grapes, 1 kiwifruit peeled and cubed, 2 tbs of rolled oats, a dollop of Greek yoghurt. This amount of ingredients is one serve for me..... Place the chopped fruit into a bowl with the rolled oats, stir to combine. When you are ready to serve top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt .. This is a great breakfast or morning tea, do not be afraid to share.

CAVOLO IN AGRODOLCE

This is an Italaian dish that is all about cabbage. This simple pan fried dish can be served alongside grilled meat, or with kransky sausage as a main meal or in a roll will with grated cheese. Ingredients.....1/2 medium/small cabbage, cored, thinly sliced and thick veins removed, 2 medium onions peeled, sliced and cubed, 4 tbs of rice bran oil / canola oil, 4 tbs of minced garlic, 1x4oogm can of diced tomatoes, cracked black pepper, 4 tbs of red wine vinegar, 3 tbs of castor sugar or sugar alternative. Place the oil in a large pan with peeled and sliced onions, the minced garlic and stir until the onion is tender. Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Now add the sliced cabbage and stir to combine, add the cracked pepper (to taste) and the red wine vinegar. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat. Finally add 2 tbs of castor sugar or sugar alternative stir to incorporate and simmer for a further 5 minutes .... Serve as you wish ....Enjoy.

WHOLE LEMON CAKE

Ingredients.....1 medium lemon ( with a nice shiny skin), 3 eggs lightly beaten, 1 and 2/3rds self raising flour, 3 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 3/4 cup of canola / rice bran oil, 1/2 cup of Greek yoghurt, 3/4 cup of castor sugar. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Prepare your 8" bundt pan/ cake pan with a liberal cover of cooking oil, making sure all surfaces are well covered with oil. Place your unpeeled lemon in a saucepan and cover with water to just cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and then drain and let cool. Slice the softened lemon, trim the ends and remove the seeds . Place the whole softened lemon in your processor. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, oil, yoghurt, and sugar. Process until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until a skewewr inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar.

THE MANOR TINNED SOUP

Ingredients......1 x 400gm can of champignons stems and pieces..undrained, 1x 420 can of condensed cream of chicken and corn soup, 1 x 420gm of condensed tomato soup, 1x 420 can of pinto beans .. undrained, if you are not a fan of beans use a 400gm can of peas and carrots...undrained, 1x 400ml of coconut cream, 100gm of fresh baby spinach, 1 medium / small sweet potato( kumara)... peeled and cubed, 2 tbs of minced garlic, cracked black pepper to serve. Emplty all the ingredients into a large pot. Stir through the minced garlic and stir through until well combined. Add the cubed sweet potato (kumara)and the baby spinach leaves . Stir through the vegetables. Heat the soup over a low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook until the sweet potato (kumara) is tender. Serve in warmed soup bowls sprinkled with cracked black pepper and melted cheese on crusty bread . You will be suprised with the compliments....!

BAKED BEAN FRITTATA

Ingredients.......960gm of drained butter beans, 700gm of chunky pasta sauce, 2 tbs of wholegrain mustard, 100ml of basalmic vinegar,250ml of coke zero, 1 dsp of cracked black pepper, 350gm of chopped/diced bacon, 8 medium sized eggs well beaten, 120 ml of sour cream, 4 cups grated mozarella cheese, small bag of baby spinach leaves, dried garlic flakes. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a large ovenproof or aluminium pan or 2 medium sized pans. These frittatas are great to share and can be frozen. Place the tomato passata , mustard sauce , vinegar and coke zero in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with the cracked pepper and add the beans. Now stir in the bacon pieces. In a separate bowl mix the beaten eggs with the sour cream and 2 cups of grated cheese until well mixed. Add the egg mixture to the bacon mixture. Pour or divide the mixture into / between the greased pans. Stir through the baby spinach leaves until well covered. Finally top the dishes / pans with the remaining cheese and finish off with a sprinkle of dried garlic flakes. Place the trays / dishes in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until set and turning golden brown , if browning too quickly lay a sheet of baking paper over the top of the dish/es. The frittata is done when a skewer inserted comes out clean.

THE MANOR PIZZA

This is my guilty pleasure .....The Manor pizza. Peel and slice a medium sweet potato and boil till tender, then drain. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. When the day has been long ,use a commercial medium sized pizza base spread with crunchy peanut butter and minced garlic. Then top with the roughly mashed sweet potato. Now spread over a small can of crushed pinepple drained and sprinkled with fennel seeds. (ok, the pinapple is optional, it's my choice but I also like beeroot on hamburgers!). Top with baby spinach leaves to generously cover the pineapple. Spread with over lapping slices of pastrami to cover the spinach leaves and thinly sliced tomato rounds. Add torn slices or grated cheese to top the pastrami and tomato slices. Sprinkle with dried Italian herbs. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through and the cheese is bubbly. Enjoy, nothing beats a meal that incites the senses, aroma, taste, satisfaction and is ready by the time you attend to your pets and change into your P.J's .

APPLE PANCAKES

Ingredients for the pancakes.....1 cup of plain flour, pinch of salt, 1 egg, 1 yolk, 1 and 1/2 cups of milk, 1 tbs of melted butter/ marg. Ingredients for the apple filling.......1 kg of cooking apples, 1/2 cup of sugar, 60gm of butter/ marg, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon, 2 tbs of apricot jam. First , prepare the apple filling, peel, core and slice the apples. Melt the butter/marg in a saucepan, add the apples and sugar and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently until the apples are soft. Now stir in the cinnamon and apricot jam. Cook for another minute and then set aside. To prepare the pancakes, mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Beat the egg and egg yolk together and then mix in the milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the egg and milk mix. Gradually draw in the flour and beat to a smooth batter. Now cover and rest for 2 hours before using. Now heat the butter in a medium sized frypan and then stir into the batter. Add a large tbs of batter to the hot pan and roll it around until the mixture covers the surface with a thin coating. Cook over a medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface, flip over and cook briefly on the other side. Stack pancakes on a plate with baking paper in between. Spread each pancake with apple filling and roll up loosely. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

HONEYED RICE

Ingredients.......1 cup of aborio rice,1 lemon, 2 and 3/4 cups of milk, 3/4 cups of runny honey, 90gm of sultanas, 60gm of granulated nuts, 30gm of butter/ marg, 2 eggs separated, good pinch of ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup of castor sugar. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Place the rice, lemon juice, the lemon rind cut into strips and the milk into a medium saucepan and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then set aside. Beat the egg yolks well in a small bowl. Gently heat the honey then combine in a medium bowl, with the sultanas, nuts, cinnamon, and butter/ marg. Now remove the lemon rind strips from the rice and stir in the honey mixture and the well beaten egg yolks. Spoon into a greased pie dish / casserole. Now beat the egg whites until stiff, adding the sugar in small increments , making sure the sugar is dissolved before adding more. Spoon the whipped egg whites onto the rice and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes and peaks are golden.

CRACKING OPEN SOME FOOD MYTHS

CARROTS GIVE YOU NIGHT VISION.... As much as we would all love to develop superpowers, eating carrots will not give you night vision. This myth came about during WW11 when rumours started spreading that Britishpilots had night vision powers thanks to their healthy diet of carrots. Carrots do contain a healthy amount of vitamin A, which is what your body uses to synthesise the pigment in your eyes that operate in low light conditions. Eating carrots can aid this, but only to the point of average vision. EATING CHEESE GIVES YOU NIGHTMARES...... We have Charles Dickens to blame for this one. In a Christmas Carol a still in denial Scrooge blames the appearance of the ghosts on 'eating a crumb of cheese' before going to bed. WATERMELON SEEDS WILL GROW IN YOUR STOMACH...... A lack of sunshine and oxygen will not allow any seed to grow in your stomach. Actually watermelon seeds are good for you as they contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. YOU NEED 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY ......... The recommendation for drinking 8 glasses of water a day came about as health officials tried to match water requirements to calorie requirements, without considering the water content we get from other food. EAT YOUR CRUSTS AND YOU WILL GET CURLY HAIR........ This is one of the stranger myths, the idea of eating crusts will make your hair curly. Whether or not you have curly or straight hair depends entirely on your genes. It is believed the myth originated 300 years ago in Europe where curly hair was seen as a symbol of health and prosperity. SUGAR MAKES KIDS HYPERACTIVE ...... You have been told and believe that feeding your child sweet food sends your child into sugar induced bad behaviour. But, the science does not back that up. In 1994,a double research study found that eating sugary foods di not affect the behaviour or cognitive skills of the children involved. DO NOT SWALLOW CHEWING/BUBBLE GUM AS IT STAYS IN YOUR STOMACH...... Any food substances we swallow are dissoved and excreted within days, with most foods dissolving within hours and bubble/ chewing gum is no different. STEAK COOKED RARE LEAKS BLOOD WHEN YOU CUT IT......... It is easy to understand why so many people would jump to the conclusion that it is blood oozing from your steak as you slice it, but it is not. Almost all the blood in your meat is removed during the slaughter. The red liquid is just water mixed with protein called myoglobin.

FRENCH TOAST

The best breakfast or mid morning brunch.... A slice or two of thick sliced friut loaf per serve. In a large bowl mix together 200ml of cream / milk with 3 well beaten eggs, 1 tsp of castor sugar, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon until well combined and smooth. Soak each fruit slice well. Liberally spray a pan with cooking oil and heat over a med/low heat. Place a slice of the soaked fruit bread in the heated pan over a medium heat until golden on both sides . Repeat until all the slices are cooked, serve with a drizzle of honey.. Delicious.....

CARAMEL CUSTARDS

Ingredients for the custard...125gm of castor sugar, 3 eggs, 600ml of milk. Ingredients for the caramel...1/2 cup of water, 2 tbs of castor sugar. You will also need 6 ramequins lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. First, prepare the caramel. Place the 1/2 cup of water into a small pan with 2 tbs of castor sugar, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and bring to the boil until the mixture turns golden. Pour the caramel mixture evenly divided over the bases of the ramequins. Beat the 3 eggs and 125gm of castor sugar together until light and creamy, heat the milk till lukewarm and pour it slowly over the egg mixture , stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Now return the custard mixture back to a medium heat and continue stirring until it thickens, BUT DO NOT BOIL !! Pour the custard mixture evenly between the prepared ramequins. Place filled ramequins into a baking tray half filled with water, cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the custards are set. Turn the set custards out on to serving plates and dress with glace cherries or berries of your choice and mint leaves on side .

ITALIAN MUFFINS

Ingredients......2 tbs of tomato paste, 375gm of self raising flour, 45gm of butter/ marg, 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese, 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion, 2 tbs of melted butter/ marg,1 cup of milk. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 20cm cake pan. Place the flour in a large bowl and rub in the 45gm of butter/ marg with your fingertips and mix to a dough with the milk, turn onto a lightly floured board and knead to a dough. Shape the dough into an oblong about 15" x 10". Spread with the tomato paste and sprinkle with the chopped onion and cheese. Now roll up the the ingredient covered dough into a log shape. Cut into 12 x 1 and 1/2 "slices and place in the prepared cake pan and brush with the melted butter and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until risen and golden . Once cooked, removed to a wire rack. Serve hot or cold with butter . I have made these many times over the years , I call them stromboli adding sliced salami and capsicum to the filling. The formal Italian muffin version is also delicious.

THAI PRAWN AND PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients.......850gm of butternut pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut into chunks, 1/2 cup of red curry paste ( it is your choice , you can also use a green curry paste), 1 litre of chicken stock, 2x 400ml cans of coconut milk, 750gm of peeled, deveined green prawns with the tails left on. Preheat your oven to 180deg C. Line a roasting pan with baking paper. Place the pumpkin chunks in the pan, spray with cooking oil and season with dill and garlic flakes. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden and tender. Now place the cooked pumpkin into a large saucepan along with the curry paste, cook over a medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer over a low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat . Use your stick blender to process until smooth. Return the pot to the heat and add the prepared prawns. Continue to cook for 3 minutes until the prawns are just cooked through. Serve topped with sliced red chilli and diagonally sliced spring onion. Serve with flatbread ....delicious. Enjoy.

DUKKAH CRUSTED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL

Dukkah is a Middle Eastern spice, herb and nut mix, that is available from supermarkets and spice stores. Ingredients.....500gm of kumara ( sweet potatoes), thinly sliced with a mandolin if you have one, 60 ml of canola oil, plus extra for brushing, 35gm of plain flour, salt and cracked black pepper, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 60ml of milk, 140 gm of dukkah, 35gm of panko crumbs, 4 skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced horizontally. Baby spinach leaves or a mixed green salad to serve with lemon wedges. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Brush the sweet potato slices with oil and place on baking paper lined baking trays. Roast till crisp about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Place the flour, salt nd papper in a medium bowl. Place the beaten eggs and milk into a separate bowl and whisk to combine. In a third bowl mix together the dukkah and breadcrumbs. Dust the chicken in the flour mix then dip the fillets in the egg mixture and press into the dukkah crumbs to coat. Heat half the oil in a large non stick pan over a medium heat, cook half the schnitzels (4)for 3 minutes on each side or until golden an cooked through. Repeat with the remaining oil and coated chicken breasts. Divide between serving plates and serve with the sweet potato crisps , green leaf salad and lemon wedges. Delicious...enjoy.

MIXED BERRY MUFFINS

These muffins are easily prepared and are happy to be frozen until needed. I use frozen mixed berries(thawed), but the berries can be replaced with choc chips or mashed bananas. Ingredients ......2 cups of self raising flour, 3/4 cup of castor sugar, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup of canola oil, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 cup of frozen mixed berries (thawed). Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease your muffin pan ( I do use a medium size muffin pan ), liberally with cooking spray. Mix together the flour , sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl beat together oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon mix to combine. Now add the berries and stir lightly until only just mixwd. Do not over mix the mixture. Spoon into the well greased muffin pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until well risen and golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

APPLE AND CHEESE SAVOURY COB

What a wonderful flavour combination ....trust me, it is very old school English. Ingredients ....1 small apple peeled and finely chopped, 2 tbs of butter/ marg, 1 and 1/2 cups of wholemeal self raising flour, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese, 2 tbs of finely chopped basil, a good sprinkle of castor sugar, an extra 2 tbs of melted butter/ marg, 1 tbs of sesame seeds. Preheat your oven to 200deg C. Cook the chopped apple in a tbs of buter/ marg until softened. Mix the flour and cinnamon and rub in 1 tbs of butter/ marg . In a separate bowl mix together the beaten egg and milk and beat in to the flour with a dough hook to make a light dough. Add the apple and 3/4 of the grated cheese, basil and sugar. Beat till just combined. Spoon the dough into a buttered and lined round pan, drizzle over the melted butter/ marg and sprinkle with sesame seeds and remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check with a skewer for doneness. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack ... this is delicious with butter.

SAVOURY CHEESE COB

Ingredients.......1/2 cup of finely chopped white onions, 2 tbs of butte/marg, 1 and 1/2 cups of self raising flour, 1/2 tsp of dried mustard, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese, 2 tbs of finely chopped parsley, an extra 2 tbs of butter/marg, 1 tbs of poppy seeds or sesame seeds and finally a sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Preheat your oven to 200deg C. Cook the onion in 1 tbs of butter/ marg until golden and tender. Mix together the flour and mustard and rub in 1 tbs of butter / marg with your fingertips. Mix together the egg and milk and then add to the flour mix to make a light dough. Add the onion, 3/4 of the grated cheese, the parsley and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Spoon the dough into a well greased loaf or round pan, drizzle over the remaining melted butter/ marg and sprinkle over the seedsand remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for for 30 minutes or until tested with a skewer , the skewer comes out clean. Serve sliced warm or cold and buttered, this loaf is also nice to offer as a savoury alternative for afternoon tea.

WHOLEMEAL YOGHURT AND BANANA LOAF

Ingredients....2 tbs of butter/ marg, 1/2 cup of castor sugar, 1 egg lightly beaten, 2 ripe medium sized bananas, 1 and 3/4 cups of self raising wholemeal flour, 1 tsp of mixed spices, 3 tbs of natural yoghurt, 1/3rd cup of granulated nuts. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Combine the butter/ marg and sugar in your mixer bowl and blend together, add the egg and chopped bananas and mix until smooth. Next add the flour, mixed spices, yoghurt and granulated nuts. Mix only till combined ( do not over mix ). Spoon into a well greased loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Check with a wire skewer , the loaf is done when it comes out clean. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack. This loaf is delcious and can be served sliced as is or buttered...

BAKED SAVOURY SALMON ROLLS

Igredients......8 slices of wholemeal/ white bread, crusts removed, 60gm butter/marg, 210gm can of red salmon ( drained), 2 tbs of finely chopped chives, 1 tbs of finely chopped parsley, 300gm of sour cream, 4 eggs lightly beaten, 1/4 cup of tasty grated cheese, cracked black pepper for seasoning. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease an ovenprof casserole . Using a rolling pin lightly flatten each slice of bread and spread with the butter/ marg. In a separate bowl mix together the drained salmon, chives, parsley and 1 tbs of sour cream. Spread this mixture over the bread slices. Now roll up each slice and place in the prepared casserole. Beat together the lightly beaten eggs and the remaining sour cream until smooth , season with cracked black pepper to taste. Pour the mixture evenly over the rolled bread. Sprinkle the grated cheese over top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the topping is set and golden . Cut into portions to serve with a crisp salad. This is 'my'go to dish when I need fish in my diet. I have made it many times, sometimes substituting shredded chicken for the salmon.

APPLE AND PEAR CRUMBLE WITH NUTELLA

Ingredients....3 apples, 3 pears, 90 gm of nutella, 40 gm of butter/ marg, 30gm of demerara sugar,60gm of plain flour, 20gm of almond meal. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Peel the pears and apples and cut them into small cubes. Layer the pear and apple cubes in a greased ovenproof dish. Place the nutella in a small over hot water to make it runny, then pour it over the pears and apples and mix to combine. In a separate bowl place the flour, sugar and almond meal and work the butter/ marg in with your fingers, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the nutella mixed fruit. Bake for 25 minutes or until the crumble is golden .