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.

Tuscan lemon chicken

6 chicken thighs (bone in)

3 cloves garlic sliced

1 very large lemon, sliced (or two medium)

6 x 1.5" rosemary sprigs

Lots of O oil

Torn stale bread (used pana di casa)

Oven at 200C.

Arrange all ingredients except bread in baking dish, salt and roast for 30 minutes.

Roll torn bread in juices and bake another 20 mins.

Served with green beans.

Basic (everyday) banana bread

For 6 big muffins:

3 ripe bananas
100g butter, melted
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
220g almond meal

Baked at 160C for 35 or 40 minutes(?)

Ginger coconut custard

2 egg yolks

Tbsp rice malt syrup (or sugar)

165ml tin coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Grating of fresh ginger

Oven at 160C. Custards in greased ramekins, in water bath. About 45mins.

Spiced coconut rice

1/2 cup basmati rice

270ml coconut milk

Seeds from 1/2 cardamom pod

1/8 tsp cumin seeds

1/8 tsp black mustard seeds

Put ingredients not saucepan over high heat, bring to boil stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover & cook about 15 or 20 till rice is soft. (May need to stir after 10.)

Slow cooked quinces

2 large quinces, quartered & cored

2/3 cup caster sugar (could reduce quantity)

1/4 cup water

Slow cooker on high, 5 hours.

Orange tomato soup

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

500g tomato (equivalent 1 tin plus two Romas)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed OJ

Couple strips orange peel

1 potato

2 cups chicken stock

Remember to remove peel before puréeing.

Basil (or Thai basil even better!) to finish.