VEGETABLES AND FRUIT GROWN IN THE BACK YARD GARDEN.

I have a very small back yard, but have a quince tree, lime tree, fejoia tree, grow rhubarb, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley and saffron ....all in pots. I have just harvested my first homegrown pumpkins, grown from seeds germinated in the worm farm.

SUNKEN SUBS

Ingredients......4 hot dog rolls, 20 gm of butter/ marg, 1 tbs of minced garlic, 420 gm of tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce, 80 gm of chopped bacon pieces, 100 gm of grated tasty cheese. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut the hot dog roll in half horizontally and place on the lined baking tray. Heat the butter / marg in a small pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Brush a little of the butter/ marg mixture on each half roll . Top with the spaghetti, bacon pieces and cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. These are always well received in The Manor.

CARAMEL SLICE.

Ingredients... Base....60 gm of plain flour, 60 gm of self raising flour, 90 gm of desiccated coconut, 100 gm of butter/ marg, 115 gm of soft brown sugar. Filling...30 gm of butter/ marg, 2 tbs of golden syrup/ honey, 400gm of sweetened condensed milk, Topping....150 gm of 70% cocoa chocolate, roughly chopped, 40 gm of butter/ marg. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a shallow 28 cm x 18 cm / 11"x 7" baking pan. Mix the flours together and stir in the coconut. Make a well in the centre. Combine the butter / marg and sugar in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the butter/ marg has melted. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Press the mixture into the lined pan with the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. To make the filling, combine the butter/ marg, syrup and condensed milk in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until smooth, continue stirring for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture over the pastry base and bake for 20 minutes. To make the topping, place the chocolate and butter/ marg in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until smooth. Spread the chocolate mix over the caramel and leave to set. When set lift the slice from the pan and cut into squares.

HOW TO MAKE BREAD ROLLS.

Use bread flour, it is called strong flour. It comes in white, wholemeal and granary (mixed seeds). Yeast likes warmth to grow and this will help your bread rise. If all the equipment you work with are warm, such as the bowl and the room temp, this will help. Make sure the water you use is not too hot or this will kill the yeast and your bread won't rise. Okay, let's start. Ingredients.....25 gm of butter/ marg, 1 egg, beaten, 225 gm of strong white flour, 225 gm of strong wholemeal flour, 1 dsp of instant dried yeast, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 275 ml of warm water. Preheat your oven to 220 deg C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Make a well in the centre and pour the warm water in, mixing with a wooden spoon. Now use your hands to make the dough into a ball. Spread your work surface with flour and knead the dough by streching and folding the dough over and pressing your knuckles into the dough. Repeat the kneading proces for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and cut into 12 even sized pieces. Roll them into small balls. Place the dough balls on the prepared tray. Cover with cling wrap and leave in a warm / draught free spot for about 40 minutes or until they have doubled in size. When they have doubled in size, brush the uncooked buns with the beaten egg. Finally finish off with a scatter of seeds on the top of the buns. ( sesame, poppy, sunflower, pumpkin). Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden. You can serve your rolls fresh from the oven or cold with your favourite filling.

BAKED RICE CUSTARD.

This is dish is another golden oldie from years ago, but always well received and is a very comforting dessert. Ingredients.......75 gm of cooked white rice, 30 gm of sultanas, 3 eggs, 500 ml of milk, 125 ml of cream, 60 gm of castor sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, ground nutmeg. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease a 1 litre casserole dish. Place the casserole dish in a large baking dish half filled with water. Place the cooked rice and sultanas in the casserole dish. In a large jug, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the rice and sultanas. Place the casserole dish in the waterbath in the oiven. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture gently with a fork and cook for a further 30 minutes, then stir again with a fork. Sprinkle the surface with nutmeg. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until the custard is just set. Serve warm or cold.

STUFFED PEPPERS ( CAPSICUMS).

Ingredients...... 2 large capsicums, mix the colours for a more colourful meal, 110 gm short grain rice, 1 tbs of oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 2 tbs of minced garlic, 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped, 125 gm of tasty grated cheese, 25 gm of finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Slice the capsicums in half lengthways, remove the seeds and white membrane. Cook the rice in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Drain well and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until tender, stirring through the minced garlic. Add the onion and garlic mix to the rice, along with all the remaining ingredients. mix everything together and season with cracked black pepper to taste. Spoon the rice mixture into the capsicum shells, and place them on the prepared oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until the capsicums are soft and the filling is golden on top.

FLOWERS…

Humans eat the flowers of brocoli and cauliflower plants. The sweet nectar in other flowers feeds birds, bats and bees. From this nectar bees make honey to feed their young and we eat their honey too.

BACON, SOUR CREAM AND CHIVES POTATOES.

Remember back in the 80's when baked jacket potatoes were all the rage? Well I am bringing them back ... Ingredients........4 medium potatoes, 50 gm of butter/ marg , cut into 4 cubes, 120gm of chopped bacon pieces, 80 gm of sour cream, 1 spring onion , green part only , sprinkle of fresh or dried chives. Preheat your oven to 190 deg C. Line an oven rack with baking paper. Srub the potatoes, rinse well and pat dry. Pearce the potatoes all over with a skewer. Place the potatoes on the prepared oven tray and bake intil the potatoes are soft all the way through when tested with a skewer. Cut a deep cros in the top of each potato. Squeeze the base of the potatoes gently to open the top up. Spoon a dollop of sour cream into each potato, top with the bacon pieces and sprinkle with chives.

HONEY FLAKES….

Ingredients.....5 cups of cornflakes, 2 ozs marg/ butter, 2 tbs of castor sugar, 1 tbs of honey. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Paper pattie pans. Melt the marg/ butter, honey and sugar over a low heat or in your microwave. Mix the combined liquid mix with the cornflakes. Spoon the combined mixture into the pattie pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden.

SUNDAY BRUNCH

Ingredients..... 2 thin slices of bread, peanut butter, honey, 1 medium banana, mashed. Spread the slices of bread with peanut butter. Spread the mashed banana over one peanut butter covered slice. Drizzle honey over the mashed bananaa and top with the remaining peanut butter covered slice. Finish off the banana bread by heating the sandwich, in a lighly greased pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until heated through. Enjoy with a cuppa of choice...

SEARED SCALLOPS ON RICE NOODLES WITH ASPARAGUS AND CHILLI SAUCE.

Ingredients.......3 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and halved, 375 gm of rice noodles, 4 spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal, 1 tbs of sesame oil, 30 large scallops, 280 ml of sweet chilli sauce. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Drop in the asparagus and return to the boil, remove the asparagus after 5 minutes and set aside. Put the rice noodles into the boiling water and simmer for 3 minutes, drain through a colander. Mix through the sliced spring onions. Simmer the chilli sauce in a small saucepan. Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Sear the scallops in batches for 1 minute on each side. To serve divide the noodles between the serving plates, top with asparagus and scallops. Spoon over the warmed chilli sauce and serve immediately.

BLUEBERRY NUT LOAF

Ingredients....250 gm of plain flour, 1 dsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of bi carb of soda, 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg, 125 gm of raw castor sugar, 60 gm of granulated nuts, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 4 tbs of milk, 125 ml of orange juice, 1 dsp of grated orange juice, 90 gm of butter/ marg, melted, 155gm of fresh blueberries. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a loaf pan (8"x 4" / 20cm x 10cm) well. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, bi carb of soda, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Mix in the granulated nuts. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture. In a medium bowl, mix the lightly beaten eggs with the milk, orange juice, orange rind and melted butter/ marg. Add the combined egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until golden and risen. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

CHEESE AND BACON DAMPER

Ingredients......310 gm of self raising flour, 3 tbs of butter/ marg, 1 dsp of dried parsley flakes, 1 tsp of dried chives, 260 gm of grated tasty cheese, 150 gm of diced bacon pieces, 1 egg lightly beaten, 185 ml of milk. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paer. Place the self raising flour in a large bowl and rub the butter / marg in with your fingertips, until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the parsley flakes, chives, cheese and bacon pieces. Mix well to combibne. In a separate bowl combine the egg and milk. Stir the milk mixture into the flour and using a round blade butter knife mix to a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly. Shape the dough into a cob and cut a deep cross in the centre. Place on the lined tray and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until risen and golden.

GOAN PRAWN CURRY.

Ingredients........1 tbs of oil, 2 tbs of curry paste, 1 onion, finely chopped, 8 cherry tomatoes, chopped, 2 tbs of minced garlic, 1- 2 tbs of chilli flakes, 1 tbs of minced ginger, 2 tbs of tamarind paste, 80 ml of coconut cream, 500 gm of peeled and deveined prawns / shrimps. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the curry paste till it is aromatic ( about a minute). Add the onion and fry until tender and golden. Add the chopped cherry tomatoes, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger. Fry over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the oil separates from the sauce. Add the taramind paste to the pan and slowly bring to the boil. Add the coconut cream and stir to combine. Add the prawns / shrimps and bring everything slowly to the boil. This sauce is not very liquidy, but it needs to hot to cook the prawns / shrimps, simmer for 5 minutes or until they turn bright pink all over. Stir the mixture around while cooking. Serve with steamed rice / grains and or Indian breads.

CHOC ROUGH MUFFINS

Ingredients.......125 gm of butter/ marg, 125 gm of raw castor sugar, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 250 gm of self raising flour, 4 tbs of cocoa powder, 175 gm of choc chips, 45 gm of desiccated coconut, 185 ml of milk. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 6 hole, 1 cup capacity muffin tray. Beat together the butter/ marg and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl combine the cocoa and flour along with the coconut, choc chips and milk. Now add this mixture along with the beaten eggs to the butter/ marg mix. Mix until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the 6 muffin holes. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes oput clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

CHICKEN FOR DINNER…….

Ingredients......500 gm of chicken breast, 1/4 cup of plain flour, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1 cup of quinoa flakes, cooking oil spray, your choice of cooked vegetables to serve. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Slice the chicken breast into finger sized pieces. Place the flour in a snap lock bag, add the chicken pieces and shake to coat. Remove the chicken from the bag, dip into the beaten eggs and coat with the quinoa flakes. Place the coated chicken pieces on the lined tray and chill for 10 minutes. Spray the chicken with oil and place the in the preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes until chicken is golden and cooked through. Divide the cooked vegetables between the serving plates and add the chicken to serve.

NUTELLA / HAZELNUT SPREAD RICE PUDDING

Ingredients..... 1 litre of milk, 20 gm / 1 and 1/2 tbs of castor sugar, 1 dsp of vanilla extract, 100 gm of aborio rice, 3 tbs of nutella / hazelnut spread. Bring the milk, vanill extract and sugar to the boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and add the rice to the milk mixture and cook over a gentle heat until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir through the spread, making sure it is well combined. Divide the mixture between 4 dishes and leave to cool. Top with a swirl of the hazelnut nut spread to serve .

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ?

Here are the answers to April's challenge: 1. Drippings 4. Treacle 2. Plump 5. Water bath 3. Steam 6. Fudge Here is the May chellenge for you: 1. A confection made of egg whites, honey and nuts ? 2. Edible pumpkin seeds with husks removed? 3. A sweet edible coating? 4. Tiny tube shaped pasta used un soups? 5. Rich fudge like biscuit usually made with chocolate and cut into squares? 6. To incorporate air into food to make it lighter?

ZUCCHINI SLICE

Ingredients.....5 eggs, 1 cup of plain flour, 1 and 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 cup of rice bran/ canola oil, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper, 2 cups of grated zucchini, firmly packed , 1 medium onion , finely chopped, 200 gm of diced bacon pieces, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese, 200 gm of feta cheese, finely chopped, 2 tbs of chopped fresh herbs, parsley and or basil. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a 22cm x 33 cm slice tray with baking paper. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, oil and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining ingredientsand stir until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tray then cut into slices to serve warm or cold. Store covered ion refrigerator for upto 3 days. To freeze , cut the cold slice into squares and individually wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

CHEESE AND APPLE SCONES.

Ingredients......210 gm of self raising flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, pinch of salt. 60 gm of fine oatmeal, 1 tsp of mustard powder, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 4 tbs of butter/ marg, 125 gm of grated tasty cheese, 1 apple peeled, cored and thinly sliced into pieces, 5 tbs of sour cream, extra sour cream for glazing. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir throught the oatmeal, sugar and mustard pwder. Rub in the butter/ marg with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Fold in the cheese and apple and just enough sour cream to make a soft dough ... NOT a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape the dough out into a thickness of 1 "/ 2 cm. Cut out into 10 - 12 scones. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra soured cream and dust lightly with oatmeal. Bake in the preheated oven until well risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

CHICKEN IN A GINGER SAUCE.

Ingredients.......30 gm of plain flour, 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper, 8 chicken pieces, 30 gm of butter/ marg, 300 gm of ginger marmalade, 1 onion, chopped, 125 ml of bar be que sauce, 2 tbs of soy sauce, 60 gm of sliced and drained water chestnuts, 1 green capsicum, sliced into thin strips. Lightly spray the bowl of your slow cooker with cooking oil. Melt the butter/ marg in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the chicken until lightly browned. Place the lightly browned chicken pieces in the bowl of your slow cooker and turn the cooking temperature to high. Combine the marmalade, onion, bar be que sauce and soy sauce in in a small bowl along with the cracked black pepper and mix well. Pour the marmalade mixture over the chicken pieces in the slow cooker. Add the water chestnuts and capsicum, cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5 - 4 hours, until a skewer inserted into the thickest parts of the joints, sees the juices run clear. The aromas wafting from the slow cooker are so inviting... I serve this dish with steamed mixed grains, it is your dish, serve it as you like.

RAW CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Ingredients......128 gm of almond meal, 60 gm of cocoa powder, 130 gm of crunchy peanut butter, 80 gm honey, 80 gm nutella. Line a 17cm x 11cm pan with baking paper. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with a pinch of salt and stir well. Press the mixture into the prepared panand refrigerate for intil set. Slice to serve.

MINI SAVOURY CROISSANTS

Ingredients.......2 sheets of puff pastry, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1 tb s of water. Asparagus and cheese filling.....60 gm of tasty grated cheese, 4 fresh asparagus spears , blanched and finely chopped, 1/4 tsp of cracked black pepper, 1/4 tsp of ground paprika. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. In a large bowl , combine the grated cheese, asparagus, paprika and pepper. Lay out the puff pastry sheets and cut each sheet into 4 squares. Fold each square into a triangle. Divide and place a little of the filling across the base of each triangle. Roll up the pastry from the base and mould into a croissant shape. In a small bowl mix the water with the lightly beaten egg and brush over the croissant. Place the croissants on the lined oven trays. Bake until puffed and golden. Serve hot or cold.

PIZZA MUFFINS

Ingredients.......1 tbs of canola / rice bran oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 1 tbs of minced garlic, 150 gm of chopped ham pieces, 80 gm of grated tasty cheese, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1 cup of crushed pineapple, 1 and 1/2 cups of plain flour, 1 dsp of baking powder, 75 gm of butter/ marg, melted, 1 tsp of dried oregano leaves. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray. Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion until tender, add the minced garlic and ham pieces. Cool the mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Stir gently to combine .... do not over beat. Three quarter fill each muffin cup, then bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Once baked and cooled these muffins can be frozen. Place a frozem muffin/s in the lunchbox and it will thaw in time for lunch...

GRAINS

Wheat, rice and corn are the seeds, or grains from grass plants. Grains are the main source of food for humans. Grains are the seeds of grass plants, grasses have thin stalks that grow into a head of seeds. Wheat, rice, corn and oats are all grains. Wheat is ground into flour to make bread and pasta. Puffed wheat can be made into breakfast cereals. Rice is the main food for half of the world population, it is often cooked and eaten whole. Rice can be ground into flour and also make noodles. Corn or maize which is ground can be made into tortillas, cornbread or cereal. Farm animals, such as cows and chicken are often fed corn, which go onto feed a large percentage of humans.

CHIA AND QUINOA TRUFFLES.

Ingredients.......2/3 cup of quinoa, 150 gm pitted dates, 2 tbs of boiling water, 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter, 2/3 cup of almond meal, 2 tbs of chia seeds, 2 tbs of cocoa, desiccated coconut or melted 70% cocoa chocolate, to coat. Line a tray with baking paper. Place the quinoa in a saucepan with 1 and 1/2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the water has been absorbed. Cool and set aside. Process the dates and 2 tbs of boiling water until a thick paste forms. Add the quinoa mix, peanut butter, almond meal, chia seeds and cocoa. Process until well combined. Using damp hands, roll the mixture into balls and place on the lined tray. Chill until firm. Roll the set balls in the melted chocolate and or desiccated coconut.

PLANTS FEED THE WORLD.

Plants are the only living thing that make their own food. The sun shines down on the earth as light. Plants use the energy of light to make their own food. Each leaf on a plant is a food factory that makes simple sugars, these sugars feed the plant as it grows. Plants then become food for other living things. Plants are the main food for many animals, animals that eat plants are herbiores. Carnivores are meat eaters. Without plants even carnivores could not survive. Carnivores eat animals that feed on plants, so all living things depend on plants.

NO BAKE RASPBERRY RIPPLE CHEESECAKE.

Ingredients.......125 gm of butter/ marg, 250 gm of plain sweet biscuits, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 450 gm of cream cheese, 225 gm of castor sugar, 300 gm of fresh raspberries, 60 gm if icing sugar, 400 ml of thickened cream. Place the biscuits in your processor or in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin into crumbs. Melt the butter/ marg in a saucepan. Tip the biscruit crumb into the melted butter/ marg and stir through thoroughly. Line a 20 cm / 8"round cake pan ( with a removeable base), with cling wrap. Spoon in the biscuit mixture, press it flat with a masher and place in your refrigerator to set. Now let's start the raspberry puree ... bring the raspberries and icing sugar to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, then press through a seive and set aside. Mix together the cream cheese, castor sugar and vanilla extract. Whip the thickened cream until stiff, then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Spread half the cheese mixture over the biscuit base. Then blob on 3/4 of the puree and swirl it into the cheesecake mix. Gently spread the remaining cheesecake mixture on top. Drizzle in straight lines the rest of the raspberry puree. Pull a skewer accross the lines for a decorative effect. Leave the cheesecake in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight before removing the sides of the pan and serving.

SALAD ROLL UPS

Ingredients..... 2 sheets of lavash bread, 90 gm of mayonnaise, 50 gm of bean sprouts, 115 gm of shredded carrot, 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 1 small lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced, 3 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced, 90 gm of grated tasty cheese, Italian herb mix. Lay out the sheets of lavash bread, with thw short sdes at the top and bottom. spread with mayonnaise. Spread the bean sprouts and shredded carot over the bread, leaving a borderof 2.5 cm/ 1" down one long side. Scatter the onion, cucumber and tomato evenly over the carrot. Sprinkle the grated cheese all over the top followed by a sprinkle of Italian herb mix, avoiding the bare edge. Fold the bare side of the bread over the filling. Roll up the lavash bread, keeping the folded side tucked in, so the filling does not fall out.