Choko Chutney

Ingredients

4 medium chokos, peeled and diced
2 green apples, diced
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground gloves
3 cups white vinegar
3/4 cup raisins

Put all ingredients, except the raisins in a large pot. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil on low heat for 1 hour or until excess liquid has evaporated and the chutney is thick. Stir in the raisins and allow the chutney to stand for 15 minutes.
Ladle the hot chutney into clean, warm, dry jars.

Hummus & Sesame Lavosh Crackers

Hummus Ingredients

600g Canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
100ml olive oil
2 tbs tahini paste
Juice 1 lemon

Place the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil , tahini paste and lemon juice in a food processor as process until combined. Add 1/4 cup of water and process again until quite smooth.

Sesame Lavosh Crackers
Recipe from Not Quite Nigella blog
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2012/07/16/sesame-lavosh-crackers/

Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
125g butter
2tbs golden syrup
1tsp bicarbonate soda
2tbs water

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line two baking paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oats, coconut and brown sugar.
Put the butter, golden syrup and 2 tbs water in a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until melted. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda.
Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on the trays, about 5cm apart.
Press with a fork to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Lemonade Scones

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup lemonade, chilled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 220C. Lightly grease 2 baking trays.
Place flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Add the cream and lemonade and mix to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a light floured work bench.
Press the dough with your hands to form a 2cm thickness. Use a cookie cutter or even a glass with a floured rimmed to cut out the scones. Place on the baking trays and brush the tips with milk. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.
Serve with jam and cream.

Special Melting Moments

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour

Filling
Lavender cream filling was made by a special friend of mine.
And the spare moments I filled with my raspberry homemade jam.

Preheat oven to 180C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and essence until light and fluffy. Add egg. Beat until combined. Sift flours over butter mixture. Stir to combine.
Roll heaped teaspoons mixture into balls. Place on trays, 3cm apart.
Using a fork dipped in flour, lightly flatten each biscuit until 1cm thick, making a criss-cross pattern on top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden. Stand on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Sandwich biscuits with a teaspoon of jam or filling of choice.

Homemade Raspberry Jam

Ingredients

500g raspberries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tbs lemon juice

Mix raspberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a microwave safe dish. Cook uncovered on medium power for 6 minutes, stopping every 2 minutes to stir.
Continue to cook uncovered on high for 16 minutes, stopping every 3 minutes to stir until jam reaches settling point.
To test for settling point, place one teaspoon of the jam mixture on a chilled saucer, place in the freezer for 1 minute. Run your finger through the jam, if the mixture wrinkles and stays separated the jam is ready.
Pour the hot jam into clean jars, turn the jars upside down for 2 minutes and leave to cool.

Beetroot and Fetta Soup

Ingredients

700g beetroot, peeled and chopped
2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1.5L vegetable stock
2/3 cup cream

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Cook and stir beetroot, onions, carrots and fennel seeds for 5 minutes.
Add vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
Blend soup until smooth. Add cream and stir through.
Serve topped with cubes of fetta.

Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, spilt
3/4 cup caster sugar
100g dark chocolate, melted
1 tbs cocoa
3 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 180C. Line patty pans with paper cases.
Add dark chocolate to a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, stir till chocolate smooth and remove of the heat.
Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl with electric mixer on low until combined.
Add the self-raising flour, cocoa and milk to the mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the melted dark chocolate and mix well.
Spoon in rounded tablespoons of the mixture into the pans and bake for 20 minutes.
Once the cupcakes are cooked, remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks.
Decorate the cakes as you desire, mine have a butter icing with raspberry jelly crystals for a little hint of colour.
Makes 18

Tuna Fish Cakes

Ingredients

400g potatoes, peeled and diced
1 brown onion, finely diced
425g tuna chunks in spring water
1 tbs chopped chives
1/2 cup olive oil
3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbs finely grated lemon rind
Flour for dusting

Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 12 minutes, or until tender.
Drain and mash. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 4-5 minutes over low heat until tender. Combine mash with onion mixture, tuna, eggs, breadcrumbs, chives ad lemon zest.
Form into patties and dust each side lightly in flour.
Heat remaining oil in frying pan over a medium heat. Add parties and cook in batches for 4 minutes either side. Drain on paper towel. Serve with mayonnaise and lemon.

Rainy Day Apple Pastry Parcels

Ingredients

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
4 medium apples, sliced
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Milk

Preheat oven to 200C. Lightly grease medium baking tray. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add sliced apples to frying pan an stir until soft. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir through. Take apple mixture off heat and cool for 5 minutes. Brush milk over the thawed pastry. Put apple mixture in a square shape in the middle of the pastry, leaving room to fold. Fold pastry over into a parcel.
Brush milk over the top of the parcels and then bale until golden brown.
Recipe makes 2 parcels.

Tomato and Chilli Jam

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 long red chillies, finely chopped
400g can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and chilli. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add tomato, sugar, vinegar and fish sauce. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Leave to cool and then transfer to jars or container for storage.