Lemon and Ginger Syrup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 kg lemons)
• Peeled rinds from the lemons
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil.
2. Let cool, and drain through a muslin cloth in a sieve.
3. Place in a bottle and refrigerate.

Lemon, Garlic, and Spinach Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 260 g spaghetti
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup cream
• 2 cups spinach, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• Fresh herbs for a garnish

Instructions

1. Cook spaghetti in a large pan.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a frypan heat the oil and add garlic and chilli flakes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cream.
4. Return to the heat, add a few spoons of the water from the pasta and the chopped spinach. Cook again on medium for another minute.
5. Add the parmesan to the sauce and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Drain the spaghetti and place in bowls. Garnish with chopped herbs.

Red lamb curry

An easy curry; the first curry I learnt how to cook. It’s always been a favourite, particularly for Reihana.

Ingredients

• 2 T oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 T Indian (not Thai) red curry paste
• 1/4 t salt
• 400 g cubed lamb (or beef)
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 1/2 red capsicum, diced
• 3/4 C coconut milk

Method

1. Cook onion and garlic in a heavy-based frypan.
2. Add ginger. cook for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add curry paste and salt and cook for a few minutes.
4. Increase heat and add meat. Cook until browned.
5. Lower heat, and add tomatoes, capsicum, and coconut milk.
6. Simmer for about an hour.

CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 100 g butter, softened
• 2 eggs, large
• 2 cups plain flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate drops
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• Rind of one orange, grated
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and then spray with baking spray.
3. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs and beat until combined well. Add vanilla and combine.
5. In a bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough.
7. Mix in chocolate drops, dried cranberries, and orange rind until combined.
8. Divide dough in half. Flour hands and form dough into two slightly flattened logs on prepared baking sheets, each approximately 26 cm long and 5 cm wide. Sprinkle with icing sugar.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Take out of the oven and leave for five minutes.
10. Using a bread knife, cut diagonally into 1 to 1.5 cm slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp. Cool on a rack.

Makes

24 slices.

Cauliflower Fritters

Based on a couple of different recipes that I found and combined. Serve these with your favourite dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• 300 g cauliflower – about 1/2, chopped into small florets
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• zest of 1 lemon
• Small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Small bunch chives, finely chopped
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• ½ cup grated sharp cheese (e.g Noble or Vintage cheddar)
• 1 egg

Method

1. Steam the cauliflower florets for eight minutes and then drain.
2. Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher until finely mashed, it doesn’t need to be smooth. Leave to cool.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together to combine.
4. Scoop out a heaped tablespoon of the mixture. Roll into a ball in your hands, using additional flour if you need to. Lightly squash the fritters flat and place on a floured plate.
5. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat.
7. Fry the fritters for three to four minutes, turn over and fry for another three to four minutes until golden brown on both sides.
8. Place on a paper towel to soak the additional oil used.

Makes

Eight to ten fritters.

Lime, Coconut, and Polenta Cake

This cake is gluten-free, but my daughter is allergic to nuts so I replaced the ground almonds with high-grade flour. I will make it again soon using ground almonds. You could easily replace the limes with lemons.

Ingredients

• 200 g softened butter
• 200 g sugar
• 120 g fine polenta
• 80 g desiccated coconut
• 100 g ground almonds (or flour)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• Zest of 2 limes

for the syrup

• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
• 80 g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan-forced).
2. Line the base and sides of a 23 cm spring-form cake tin with baking paper and lightly it with non-stick spray.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add one egg and beat.
5. Mix together the polenta, coconut, ground almonds (or flour), and baking powder. Add some of this into the creamed mixture. (the mixture can easily curdle if you add all the eggs at once).
6. Add the second egg and then alternate dry ingredients and the third egg.
7. Add the lime zest and place the mixture into the prepared tin.
8. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack, leaving it in its tin.
10. Make the syrup by boiling together the lime juice and icing sugar in a smallish saucepan until the icing sugar is dissolved.
11. Prick the top of the cake all over and pour the warm syrup over the cake.
12. Leave it to cool before taking it out of its tin.

Creamy Coconut Squares

Published by the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly, July 1970. Mum made this regularly on her Monday baking days and it is still one of my favourite slices.

Ingredients – Base

• 115 g butter, softened
• 115 g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 C flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t baking powder

Ingredients – Topping

• 1/2 tin sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 C icing sugar
• 3/4 C coconut
• 1/2 t vanilla essence

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and beat well.
3. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture and gently mix until just combined.
4. Spread into a slice tin.
5. Cook at 170 °C (fan-forced oven) for 25 mins or until cooked. Leave to cool before spreading topping.
6. Gently warm the topping ingredients and spread over the cooled base. Sprinkle over some extra coconut. Chill until set.

Makes

24 slices

Berry compote

Serve with muesli for breakfast or ice cream for dessert.

Ingredients

• 2 t honey
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 t mixed spice
• 1 orange, zest and juice
• 2 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)

Method

1. Put the first four ingredients in a saucepan and let the honey melt. Stir well.
2. Add the berries and simmer for ten minutes until it thickens. It will thicken more on cooling.
3. Keep in the fridge.

Red Bean & Chocolate Brownies

I originally found this recipe on http://www.food.com/recipe/kidney-bean-brownies-198852, but have slightly altered it. No one can taste the beans. It’s full of protein and contains no saturated fat.

Ingredients

• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup sugar
• ³⁄₄ cup high-grade flour
• ¹⁄₂ cup cocoa powder
• 1 t salt
• ¹⁄₂  cup unsweetened applesauce (or a tasteless oil)
• 4 eggs (or equivalent egg whites)
• 1 t vanilla
• Handful chocolate drops

Method

1. Line and grease a brownie pan.
2. In a food processor, puree the kidney beans with one of the eggs until the mixture is thick and creamy.
3. Combine all the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate drops.
4. Beat on low speed until smooth.
5. Pour mixture into the brownie pan and scatter the chocolate drops over the top.
6. Bake in 180 °C oven for 25 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.