Baked carrot cake oatmeal

For 4 sensible or 2 silly serves, mix together:
1 cup oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cardamom

Handful saltanas

1 leg carrot, grated

Pour over:
1 egg, beaten & mixed with
1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

For the topping, stir together:

1/2 cup walnuts &

1/3 cup sunflower seeds in processor

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp coconut oil

170C, 25 mins.

Jeff's margaritas!

2 parts tequila (Patron silver)
1 part Cointreau
1 part lemon juice
ice
salt

Banana granola

For four big serves:

1.5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp vanilla extract or ground vanilla
1 pinch sea salt
1 tbsp (20ml) coconut oil, room temperature
1 tbsp (20ml) maple syrup or honey
1 very ripe banana

Preheat the oven 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, vanilla and salt. In a separate bowl add coconut oil, maple and bananas. Use your hands to mix the ingredients completely smooth. Add the banana mixture to the dry mixture and combine well, using your hands, for about a minute, so all is well-coated and clumpy. Turn out and spread the granola in an even layer on the baking tray. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, taking it out at around 10 minutes to turn the granola over with a wooden spoon.

Banana & salted caramel ice cream

For the salted caramel sauce:

100g caster sugar

125ml pure cream

15g butter

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

For the ice cream:

2 super ripe bananas (really ripe - important!)

250ml pure cream

195g sweetened condensed milk (half a 395g tin)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To make the caramel, in a heavy-based pan over low heat, add the sugar in an even layer then leave to melt into an amber-coloured caramel. Meanwhile, heat up the cream gently in a separate pan and keep warm.

Cook sugar until it’s a darkish brown golden colour.

When it’s ready, take it off the heat and add the warmed cream. It’ll bubble up furiously so be careful. When that settles, stir through the butter.

The caramel may seize and harden so just stick it back over the low heat and stir gently until everything has melted into a sauce. Stir through the salt to taste then allow to cool completely.

For the ice cream, mash up the bananas until smooth. Beat the cream & vanilla until soft peaks then gently fold through the condensed milk until mostly combined. Fold through the banana mash.

Scrape half the batter into a loaf tin (or any container you wish). Dollop in some cooled caramel then swirl through the ice cream mixture. Add the remaining ice cream over the top then swirl through more caramel to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 or 5 hours or overnight.

Next time, try adding some chopped roasted peanuts.

Warm bacon, lentil & mushroom thingo

For two meals:
2 rashes of bacon
3 cloves of garlic
2 big mushrooms
fresh red chilli (optional)
1 tin lentils
cup of frozen peas
1 Tbsp (20ml) apple cidar vinegar
salt
pepper
EVO oil

Roasted broccoli

1 head of broccoli

3 cloves garlic, minced

ginger (optional) minced

red chili, chopped (or dried)

Olive oil

1 Tbsp tahini
1/2 tin chickpeas (optional)

Slivered almonds

Oven at 200C.

Toss broccoli in remaining ingredients (except almonds) & roast 15 minutes. Add almonds in last 7 minutes.

Tzatziki tuna salad

For two days:

60g bag of washed rocket

2 x 95g tins of tuna in olive oil

400g tin of butter beans
tub of tzatziki

Roast vanilla strawberries

1 punnet strawberries

1/2 tsp vanilla

15ml castor sugar

Oven at 190 C

Mix ingredients together & spread in a baking tin. Roast 20 minutes. Serve with ice cream or yogurt or shortbread or chantilly cream.

Awesome dressing for tuna salad

For 2 big plates of salad:
2 Tbsp (15ml) capers, chopped finely
2 cornichons, chopped finely
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp (15ml) EVO oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper

(Salad:
About 180g tinned tuna
a cos lettuice or 1/2 a radicchio
basil
parsley
1/2 a red onion, blanched
1/2 punnet of cherry tomatoes)

City2Surf muffins

Makes 6:

1 cup toasted muesli

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sultanas

1 egg

30ml brown sugar

1/4 cop light olive oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Desiccated coconut & pumpkin seeds

Oven at 200 C, grease 6 muffin holes.

Blitz dry ingredients in food processor then stir in sultanas.

Blitz wet ingredients & gently fold through dry.

Sprinkle with coconut & pumpkin seeds.

Bake 20 mins (until skewer comes out clean.)

Lemon raspberry baked french toast

Two greedy serves:

1.5 cups milk

2 eggs

zest of small lemon

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp maple syrup (40ml)

4-7 slices of day-old white bread, crusts off

1/3 cup raspberries

1 tsp demerara sugar (optional)

Yoghurt to serve

Mix milk, eggs, zest & vanilla together. Butter small baking dish, drizzle base with syrup & line with bread, dotting raspberries between.

Pour over milk mixture & rest for 15 minutes.

Oven to 180. Sprinkle with sugar if using. Bake 40 minutes or until golden.

Almond pudding

Four modest serves:

3 eggs

350 ml milk (reg. or almond)

60 g almond flour

1 (15ml) tbsp plain flour

1 (15ml) tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch sea salt

1 (20ml) tbsp ghee or coconut oil

To serve (for example):

Strawberries

Mint

Yoghurt

Icing sugar


Oven to 225C, pyrex dish inside.

Whisk eggs until frothy, add remaining ingredients (except ghee/oil) and whisk till smooth.

Add ghee/oil to dish, replace in oven for a few seconds till melted. Pour batter into dish and stir tocombine with melted oil.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set and golden.

North african pumpkin & chickpea stew

2 large onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stick celery, diced
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
8 saffron threads, toasted
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed
500ml passata
bunch coriander
300g butternut pumpkin
1L veg stock
1/4 cup risoni

From HFW's "River Cottage, Veg everyday"

Peasant lamb curry

For 4 serves:

diced pumpkin
1.5kg lamb forequarter (4 chops)
2 spring fresh curry leaves
1 tsp black mustand seeds
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp tandoori paste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup water
peas
fresh coriander


Place pumpkin in base of slow-cooker.
Brown chops in pan & add to slow-cooker.
Fry mustard seeds and curry leaves till popping. Add onion, garlic & fry for a few minutes till softened. Add dry spices and cook 1 - 2 mins.
Put all remaining ingredients (except peas & corriander) into slow-cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
In last hour, put brown rice & barley in rice cooker. Once rice is done, skim excess fat from lamb, add peas to slow-cooker, wait a few minutes to cook and serve with rice & coriander.

AMAZING millet mash

Make 2 BIG serves:
1/2 cup millet
1 1/2 cups water
1 small onion
1/2 small head cauliflower
1 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup arame, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes
Sea salt to taste

1. Rinse millet well.
2. Chop cauliflower and onion into chunks.
3. Put rinsed millet and water in a large pot and cover with chopped vegetables and salt. Bring to a rapid boil, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the millet is cooked.
4. Remove from heat, add the cold pressed oil and arame. Mash with a large fork.

Great with spring onion & sardines.

You can use any type of veg: carrots, broccoli, kale, spinach, beetroot.

San choy bau

Serves 4:

1 iceberg lettuce
500g pork mince
8 spring onions
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp hoisin
2Tbsp soy sauce
200g chopped water chestnuts
Handful of coriander





Heat peanut oil in a pan, brown pork mince. Stir in remaining ingredients (except coriander) and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in coriander & serve in lettuce cups.

Pumpkin, zucchini & bacon bubble & squeak

For 1:
1 chunk Kent pumpkin
2 rashers bacon
1 purple shallot
1 clove garlic
1 zucchini

Heat oven to 200, chop & oil pumpkin. Bake for 20 minutes.

Slice bacon & start frying. Chop shallot & add, frying for 5 minutes. Roughly chop garlic & add. Grate in zucchini.

Add pumpkin & oil. Salt & lots of pepper.

Vietnamese beef curry with lemongrass and star anise

For 6 people:

Peanut, sesame and shallot dust:

6 tbsp unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan (watch carefully, they burn quickly)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt flakes

2 tbsp crispy fried shallots

1.2kg beef chuck, in 2cm-3cm dice

Salt flakes

2 generous pinches saffron

Coconut oil

4 sticks lemongrass, white part only

4 long red chillies

4 small red chillies

8cm piece ginger

5 purple eschalots

6 garlic cloves

3 star anise

1 tsp five-spice powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tin tomatoes, drained and crushed

4 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp sugar

1 large daikon (white radish), peeled and cut in 4cm rounds

Rice, to serve

Coriander leaves, to serve

Limes, to serve

1. Season the beef and toss with the saffron and a little oil.

2. Roughly chop the lemongrass, chillies, ginger, eschalots and garlic, add to a food processor and process to a paste.

3. In a large pot, fry the paste in a little oil about 3 minutes or till fragrant, add the beef and stir. Seal the meat, add the star anise, five spice, cinnamon, tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. Stir. Add two litres of water.

4. Simmer gently for about two hours or until the beef is tender. Add the daikon and cook for a further 30 minutes, until the daikon is tender and the sauce reduced.

5. To make the dust, in a mortar and pestle or small food processor, grind the peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar and salt together, then stir through the crispy shallots.

6. Serve with rice, coriander and lime. Sprinkle with crispy shallot and peanut dust.

Eat with lager

Crispy cornmeal sweet potato chips

For 2 big serves or 4 small:
1 large sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp. polenta
1 tsp. sea salt (more to taste, if desired)

extra flavour options:
ground cumin
smoked paprika
cayenne










1. Scrub the sweet potatoes well under running water. Slice them into long sticks 1cm thick. Place them in a bowl of water, swish around a few times, then drain (this step helps remove some of the starch from the potato). Place potatoes on a clean tea towel and dry thoroughly. Let them air dry while you prepare everything else.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. On low heat, melt coconut oil or ghee in a small saucepan. Place cut potatoes in a plastic bag, seal and shake bag vigorously to coat (this process can also be done on a cookie sheet, drizzle the oil over and toss very well to coat). Add cornmeal and salt to the bag and toss well to coat.

3. Place fries on a lined baking sheet, making sure that they are not touching. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp (no need to flip them halfway through cooking).

(Served with steak and salad.)

Garlicky kale and white bean stew

Serves 3-4:
Knob ghee
2 medium onions
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
5 bay leaves
Pinch chili flakes
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 tin white beans
2 cups packed shredded kale leaves
2 cups vegetable stock
1 can (400g) tomatoes
Cold-pressed olive oil to garnish

Directions:
1. Heat a knob of oil in a large stockpot. Slice onions and add to the pot with a couple pinches sea salt, chili, bay leaves and paprika. Cook for a few minutes until the onions have softened, then add sliced garlic.
2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, season to taste, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil (since everything is cooked, you don’t need to heat it long).

Oatmeal buttermilk pancakes

For 16 pancakes (4ppl):

• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup light olive or macadamia oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, chopped

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla in medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients; whisk until blended. Let batter stand to thicken, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover batter and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to low. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, ladle batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet. Place banana chunks on each. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over; cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Spaghetti bolognese

• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 75g pancetta, diced
• 600g minced pork & veal
• 2Tbsp tomato paste
• 800g chopped tinned tomato
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• Splosh red wine
• Pinch of salt

Melt ghee and cook onion on low, add garlic and pancetta and fry. Increase heat and add mince to brown.
Stir in remaining ingredients, reduce heat & simmer uncovered, 1 hr plus - adding water if needs be.

Easter bread & butter pudding

• 4 hot cross buns
• 60g (ish) butter
• 1/2 cup marmalade
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Slice buns into 3 & spread a side with butter & marmalade. Layer into 1.5L ovenproof dish.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients in a jug. Poor over the buns & sit for 20-30 mins.
3. Heat oven to 180.
4. Bake 35-40 mins, stand for 5 minutes & serve with vanilla icecream.

Spicy tomato & red lentil soup

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red chili
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 800g tinned tomato
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 cups chicken stock

1. Roughly blitz onion, garlic & chili.
2. Heat oil & fry onion mixture. For a few minutes. Add spices & tomato paste & fry another minute.
3. Add tomatoes, lentils & stock. Boil, reduce to simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Blend & season.

Peanut butter & white chocolate cookies

For about 32 cookies:
125g butter
275g crunchy peanut butter
200g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
120g white chocolate, chopped

1. Oven at 180.
2. Beat butters till creamy. Add brown sugar & beat till pale. Add egg & beat till combined.
3. Sift in flour & baking powder & combine with a wooden spoon. Stir in choc.
4. Make 1 Tbsp balls onto greaseproof paper, press flattish.
5. Bake for 12 mins, turning tray halfway through.

Scandinavian bread

• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup flax seeds
• ½ cup hazelnuts or almonds
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 4 Tbsp psyllium seed husks
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
• 1 ½ cups water

1. In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and very mix until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.

2. Preheat oven to 175°C.

3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

(So good with cottage cheese, chives, smoked trout & lettuce.)

Spicy beans with feta

4 people:

• Brown rice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 400g chopped tinned tomato
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 125ml water
• 800g tinned kidney beans
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 up coriander leaves
• 1 green chilli, deseeded & finely sliced
• 100g feta, crumbled
• 3 spring onion tops, chopped

Put brown rice on to cook.

Preheat oven to 160C. In a casserole, soften onion, add garlic & cumin & cook one minute. Add tomatoes, sugar & water, bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Add beans, season, cover and bake 30 minutes. Garnish and serve with brown rice.

Baked eggplant & ricotta

For 4 people:
• 3 medium eggplants, sliced 1cm thick
• olive oil
• 500g fresh ricotta
• 100g grated Parmesan
• black pepper

Tomato sauce:
• brown onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 800g tinned tomato
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Degorge eggplant & grill in batches, brushed with oil.

Meanwhile, fry onion & garlic, 12-15mins till soft. Add tomatoes, paste & sugar. Boil, reduce heat & simmer uncovered 30 mins. Season. Stir in basil.

Combine ricotta with 40g Parmesan & pepper.

Preheat oven to 220C & grease small lasagna dish.

Layer 1/2 eggplant, 1/2 tomato, ricotta, remaining eggplant, remaining tomato, remaining Parmesan.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden & warm through.

Served with lemony rocket salad & fresh bread.