Zucchini cheesecake

3 zucchini

Mint

Spring onion

250g cream cheese

200g feta

3 eggs

Tuna, rocket & lemon pasta

For 2.5:
350g pasta

1/4 cup EVO oil

1 clove garlic

Juice & zest one lemon

2 x 185g tins tuna

Small red chilli

Bag of rocket

Pork burger with chipotle mayo

Enough for: 2
takes: 30 minutes
100g (3.5oz) chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
100g (3.5oz) mayo + 2-3 tablespoons extra for slaw
450g (1lb) minced (ground) pork
50g (2oz) grated parmesan, plus extra
1/4 medium red cabbage
small bunch coriander (cilantro)

1. First make the mayo by chopping chipotle chillies and mixing with the mayo. Taste and season with salt if needed.

2. Combine pork and parmesan and form into 4 burger patties. Heat a large frying pan on a medium high heat. Add a little oil. Reduce heat to medium and then cook the burger patties for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until well browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle.

3. While the burgers are cooking, shave the cabbage using a mandoline or sharp knife. Finely chop coriander stems and coarsely chop the leaves. Toss shaved cabbage and chopped coriander in a bowl with the 2-3 tablespoons of extra mayo.

4. When the burgers are cooked, divide chipotle mayo between two plates smearing into an off centered circle. Top with cooked burger patties. Add slaw on the side and finish with an extra grating of parmesan.

Ma’s yoghurt ice cream

Whisk:
1 cup milk
1/2 Cup castor sugar
2 tsp vanilla paste
big pinch salt

Then:
1 Cup thickened cream
1 Cup Greek yoghurt

For added strawberry awesomeness:
Microwave 1 punnet chopped strawberries
Squeeze lemon
Pinch salt
Spoon caster sugar

Chocolate beetroot cakes

75g cocoa powder
180g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
250g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 large eggs
200ml olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4. Arrange paper muffin cases in a 12-mould muffin tin.

Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the sugar, and set aside.

Purée the beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and oil and blend until smooth.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture and lightly mix. Pour into the muffin cases.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is firm when pressed with a finger.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Thai mince curry with eggplant

Enough for: 2
Takes: 20 minutes

1 red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 tsp Thai red curry paste
400g minced chicken, turkey or pork
3 long baby eggplant, sliced into bit sized pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 tin coconut milk
1 bunch coriander (cilantro), leaves picked

Heat a little oil in a large pot. Cook the onion, then garlic, then meat, stirring often until browned and no longer pink.

Add the curry paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until everything smells amazing.

Add the eggplant, coconut milk and the fish sauce. Bring to a simmer.

Cook, covered for 5-10 minutes or until eggplant is very tender. Taste, season and serve with coriander leaves on top.

Lentil bolognese with cauli mash

Red onion
Mushrooms
Garlic
Passata
Rosemary
2 tins lentils
Tbsp balsamic

Parsley

Cauli mash

Euro burgers with red wine sauce

enough for: 2
takes: 10 minutes
400g (14oz) minced (ground) beef
1/3 cup red wine
2 – 3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 generous tablespoons unsalted butter
mixed salad leaves, to serve

1. Preheat a large frying pan or skillet on high.

2. Form beef into 2 patties.

3. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon salt on the hot pan and place burgers on top.

4. Sear burgers for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove meat and rest on 2 warm dinner plates.

4. Add wine and tomato paste to the pan. Simmer for a minute or so, stirring to scrape up and burger bits into the sauce.

5. Stir in butter until melted. Taste and season sauce.

6. Serve burgers with sauce poured over and green salad on the side.

CHRISTMAS GINGER BEER-GLAZED HAM

4kg half leg ham on the bone

Ginger Beer Glaze

1 firmly packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 whole cloves
1cm piece ginger, peeled, sliced
3/4 cup ginger beer
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
1/2 cup (250ml) red wine
1 tsp mustard seeds

Melon salad:

1/2 rockmelon, seeds removed, cut into wedges
handful basil, leaves picked
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs white wine vinegar

For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds. Set aside to cool completely. Strain glaze into a bowl, discarding solids.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Using a small sharp knife, cut around ham shank in a zigzag pattern, then carefully run knife under skin, around the edge of the ham.

Gently lift off skin in 1 piece by running your fingers between the rind and the fat. Discard skin, then score fat in parallel lines, 1cm apart. Baste fat with some of the glaze and place ham on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Roast ham, basting with remaining glaze every 20 minutes, for 1.5 hours or until caramelised.

Slice the ham and serve with salad.

Asian pork & broccoli

enough for: 2
takes: 15 minutes
2 smallish heads broccoli, chopped
450g (1lb) pork and fennel sausages, skins removed, meat crumbled
1-4 small red chillies, chopped
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
handful cashews (optional)

1. Preheat a wok or frying pan on a medium high heat. Add broccoli and stir fry until the broccoli is bright green and no longer crunchy. About 5 minutes.

2. Place cooked broccoli in a clean bowl then add a little more oil. Stir fry the sausages until browned and cooked through.

3. Add chilli and return broccoli to the pan. Add hoisin sauce and stir fry another minute or until everything is hot.

4. Taste and season with more hoisin sauce. Serve in bowls with cashews on top (if using).

Harissa tomato soup

enough for: 2
takes: 20 minutes
2 onions
1 jar tomato passata (700mL)
1 can coconut cream
2 tablespoons harissa (optional)
2 handfuls hazelnuts, roasted

1. Heat a little oil in a medium saucepan. Dice onion and add to the pot. Cover and cook on a medium heat, stirring every few minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. About 10 minutes.

2. When the onion is soft, add the passata / puree (not concentrated tomato paste) and coconut cream. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.

3. Remove from the heat and puree using a stick blender or regular blender. Add harissa. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more harissa if needed.

4. To serve, divide between two bowls and top with roasted hazelnuts.

Beef strog

750g chuck steak, diced in big cubes
2 small or 1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp paprika
1 carrot, grated
15 ml seed mustard
400g tin crushed tomato
3 big handfuls button mushrooms
Tub sour cream

Oven at 160. Brown meat, set aside & soften onion. Add garlic then paprika, return meat & all remaining ingredients except sour cream. Cook in oven covered for 1 hr 20, uncovered 40. Stir through sour cream & salt.

Cabbage soup

enough for: 2
takes: 30 minutes
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, peeled & diced
1/2 small cabbage
3 cups chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons sherry or wine vinegar
shaved parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat a large saucepan on a medium high heat. Add a little oil and your bacon and cook, uncovered, stirring every now and then for 5 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.

2. Remove bacon from the pan, leaving behind the oil. 

3. Pop your onion in the pan (add more oil if you think it needs it). Cover and cook, stirring periodically until the onion is soft and golden. About 10 minutes.

4. While the onion is cooking finely slice your cabbage. Then add to the pot when your onion is soft.

5. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered until the cabbage is no longer crunchy – around 15 minutes.

6. Remove from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar. Taste and season with extra vinegar, salt and pepper as needed. Remember you’re going to serve with salty bacon and cheese.

7. Divide soup between two bowls. Top with parmesan and bacon.

Herby roast chicken

Enough for: 2
Takes: 30 minutes
1 bunch coriander (cilantro), leaves & stems
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves & stems
 1 red chilli

1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 tablespoons neutral flavoured oil, (I used rice bran oil)
4 chicken thigh fillets, bone out (about 450g / 1lb)
2 limes, halved, to serve
4 handfuls baby spinach, to serve

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F).

2. Whizz coriander, parsley, chilli, garlic, soy sauce and oil until you have a chunky paste.

3. Toss chicken in the herb mixture. Marinate for up to 36 hours or cook straight away.

4. Lay chicken fillets out flat in an oven proof dish and pour over the herb mixture.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

6. Serve on a bed of baby spinach with lime on the side.

Buck's yoghurt cake

Line small cake tin. Chopped pear & blackberries on the bottom.

Oven to 180C

3/4 cup yoghurt

1/2 x 3/4 cup O oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 x 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

Sprinkle top with raw sugar.

Bakes about 30mins

Spiced porridge

Per adult:

1/3 cup oats

2 Tbsp chia

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup milk

pumpkin chickpea soup

1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1L veg stock
1kg chopped pumpkin
1 tin chickpeas

Serve hot or chilled with cream.

Peanut butter, tahini & honey biscuits

For a dozen:

1 cup spelt flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp (scant) sea salt

1/2 cup peanut butter

40ml tahini

40ml olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

Oven at 180C. 

Stir dry together. Mix wet together & pour over dry. Stir till just combined. Make balls (small ice cream scoop) and press with a fork.

Bake 10 minutes, turning try around halfway through.

Lemon ricotta pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ricotta
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 
  
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, ricotta, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Then, whisk lemon zest with lemon juice and add to milk mixture along with melted butter and blend until combined (it will curdle a little, that's fine, but you'll want to hurry and pour it into the dry mixture). Pour into flour mixture and whisk just to combined (batter should be slightly lumpy).

Baked French toast with caramelised pears

• 2 ripe bosc pears
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 
  
• 5 or 6 slices french or sour dough bread
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed
• 3 eggs
• 1&1/4 cups whole milk
• 1.5 Tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• Zest of 1/2 small orange

Fry sliced pears in butter, add maple syrup & allow to caramelise.

Oven at 175C. Layer bread, nuts & pears in buttered baking dish. Soak with mixture of remaining ingredients. Bake 40 mins or until firm.