Method

Cut pita breads in half and brush  with oil  and grill until golden on both sides. Break pitas into bite-size pieces.
Place cucumber, onion. tomatoes, olives, parsley and basil in a platter. Flake salmon with a fork and mix through salad.
 In a small bowl combine garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil and drizzle over salad.
Toss pita crisps over salad and serve at once.

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Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.   Add the lemon juice and finely grated zest and stir in flour, yoghurt and blueberries.
Pour into a lined loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean

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Ingredients

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated courgette
3 eggs, whisked
3 cups flour
1/2 teapsoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 150 C. Place oil and sugar in a large bowl and mix well.  Add courgette, eggs and combined dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Pour mixture into 2 x greased or lined loaf pans and bake for 1 hour or until loaves tests cooked.

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Ingredients

150g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup cream
25g butter
6 large freestone peaches
2 sheets  (350g) butter puff pastry

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Place sugar and water in a saucepan over a gentle heat, stir well until sugar dissolves.  Bring to the boil and then continue to boil without stirring until sugar starts to change colour.  Tilt the pan gently so the colour spreads through the sugar.  As the sugar turns from golden to dark amber quickly remove from heat and carefully pour in the cream, take care as it can splatter.   Add butter and mix until smooth.
Rub excess fur from peaches and then cut in half and remove stones. 
Pour at least half the caramel over the base of a 26cm flan pan (don’t use a loose bottom pan) making sure the base is covered.  Place peaches skin side down in the pan.
Cover peaches with one sheet of pastry and then cut strips from the second sheet and tuck them around the edges of the pastry to form the sides of tart.  Press the pastry edges together so you get one large piece.  This is easier to achieve with one piece of rolled pastry but I am assuming most people purchase ready rolled sheets.
Place tart in the oven and cook for 20 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes.  Loosen edges with a knife.  Invert tart onto a serving plate so that the peaches are now on the top and the pastry is the base and serve with extra caramel sauce and icecream.

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serves 4.

Ingredients

2 bulbs garlic
olive oil
75 g butter
2 leeks, green parts only, finely sliced
400 g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
600 ml chicken stock
1 cup cream

Method

Preheat oven to 150 C.

Place the garlic on an oven tray and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until cloves are soft.

Meanwhile melt butter in a saucepan and cook leeks for 10 minutes, add the potatoes, salt and freshly ground black pepper and chicken stock and cook for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Remove from the heat and squeeze the roasted garlic from the cloves into the soup.  Puree the soup in batches until smooth.

Return the soup to the stove and add cream, heat gently until almost boiling. [homepageimage][/homepageimage]

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Ingredients

1 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
50g butter
1 1/4 cups white flour
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Method

Place the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the flour and mix really well.

Add the eggs, a little at a time and continue to mix well.

Place the mixture in a piping bag and make fingers approximately 6 cm long.

Heat oil in a large saucepan until a little dough sizzles when it is dropped in. Cook 4-5 churros at a time until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and then dust with combined sugar and cinnamon.

Serve with a chocolate dipping sauce. I use chocolate melted with cream and a little cinnamon.

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Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts fillets, skin on
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 flour tortillas, warmed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, mashed with
• juice of half a lime and
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 tablespoons tomato salsa

Method

Heat olive oil in a pan and pan fry chidken until golden and cooked through. Allow to rest for a few minutes until cool enough to handles and then slice chicken breasts into thin slices.
warm tortillas either in the microwave or on the plate of a toasted sandwich maker.
Spread each tortilla with a generous cover of avocado. Divide chicken between the tortillas and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter with coriander and dollops of tomato salsa and sour cream. Roll up to enclose filling and serve.

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These muffins are great for school lunch boxes and for morning tea.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 cup (2 medium sized bananas)  mashed banana

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C.
Combine flour, sugar and chocolate chips in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in combined egg,  vanilla, butter, and baking soda dissolved in milk.  Add banana and gently mix until ingredients are just incorporated.
Place spoonfuls into muffin pans and bake for 12-15 minutes until springy on the surface.

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup oil
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Pour batter into a cake pan and bake at 180 C for 25 minutes or until cake tests cooked.

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Recipe from Radio Live Kitchen and Garden show.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg mixed dried fruit
• 6-8 dried figs, chopped
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 250g butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon treacle
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon each of lemon, vanilla and almond essence
• 2 cups flour
• brandy

Method

Place dried fruit and almonds in large bowl and pour over sherry. Cover and refrigerate ofor 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 150 C. In a separate bowl beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat eggs in 1 at a time using a little flour as needed to prevent mixture curdling. Add treacle, essences and remaining flour and mix. Pour mixture into a well lined cake tin. Bake for 1 hour and then reduce temperature to 140 C and continue to cook for 4 hours or until cake tests cooked. Remove from the oven and pour over 1/2 cup brandy. Once cake has cooled, wrap and store in an airtight container and pour over another 1/4 cup of brandy after 2 weeks.

Disclaimer:

The recipe above has been supplied by a member of the public and has not been individually tested by Helen Jackson. Helen Jackson does not accept any liability in relation to publication of this recipe.

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