Tortilla Mince Pies

Ingredients:

oil spray
400 g lean beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
400 g can Delmaine chickpeas in curry sauce
1 cup corn kernels
4 extra light tortillas
3/4 c grated reduced-fat cheese

Optional:
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 - 1 pepper. diced
5 - 6 mushrooms, sliced
parsley to garnish

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and spray 4 small pie dishes with oil.
2. Cook mince in a non-stick fry pan with a little spray oil until evenly browned.
3. Add onion and cook for 3 - 4 more minutes. If using additional vegetables or garlic add at this stage.
4. Add chickpeas and corn. Heat for 5 minutes.
5. Place 1 tortilla in each pie dish. Push into mould properly and spray with a little oil.
6. spoon mince into tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
8. Garnish with parsley.

Side salad:

1 1/2 cups grated (or sliced) mixed carrot and beetroot

200 g curly kale, shredded

Arrange kale on serving plates and top with carrot and beetroot.

Notes:

I haven't made the side salad. I find it's easier to add extra vegetables into the mince mixture. A great way to use up little bits of veges hiding in the fridge.

Hedgehog Slice

• Ingredients
• 
  
• 1 pkt (250g) super wine biscuits, broken into small pieces
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup soft brown sugar
• 70g slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 100 g milk or dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 T Maple syrup or golden syrup
• 100 g butter
• 1 egg
• 
  
• Chocolate topping 
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 50g butter

Method

1. Lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl combine biscuits, coconut, brown sugar, slivered almonds and cocoa.
3. In a small saucepan, over a gentle heat stir chocolate, maple or golden syrup and butter until mixture is melted and combined. Cool slightly. Whisk in egg.
4. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Spoon into prepared tin and press firmly into the tin with the back of the spoon. Chill while preparing the chocolate topping.

Chocolate topping

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over hot water until melted. Stir to combine. Spread over the chilled slice. Refrigerate until topping is set. Cut into small squares to serve

Tips

• Add chopped marshmallows for a rocky road twist
• Use gluten free biscuits instead of wine biscuits

Banana, blueberry and coconut muffins GF

Ingredients

100 g reduced-fat spread
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)
1 cup Healtheries gluten free baking mix
1 cup mashed banana (approx 2 bananas)
1/3 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup frozen blueberries

Method

1.  Heat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole baking tin with paper muffin cases.
2.  With a mixer or in a large bowl mix spread and sugar, beating well until fluffy and light in colour.
3.  Add the remaining ingredients, beating well with each addition.
4.  Gently fold in berries. Divide mixture among muffin cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
5.  Store in an airtight container or a resealable bag for up to 2 days.

Tips

If you are not gluten-free, use 1 cup self-raising flour instead of baking mix.

Corn Fritters with Feta & Bacon

Ingredients

Fritters

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 400 g canned sweetcorn, drained
• • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 rashers bacon, diced
  • 100 g feta, crumbled coarsely
  • 3 Tbsp fresh coriander, or parsley chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Olive oil, to fry
• 
  

• Dressing

• 2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 125 g sour cream

• 
  

  Salad

• 1/2 bag salad greens
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 avocado
• 
  
• 
  

Serves 4

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Put the flour, baking powder, milk and eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the sweetcorn to the batter with the bacon, feta, coriander, garlic and salt. Mix well.

Fry large spoonfuls in moderately hot olive oil until well browned on each side. Place the corn cakes on paper towels, on an ovenproof tray and put in oven for 5 minutes.

Mix the sour cream and sweet chilli sauce together. Serve the corn fritters with the sour cream sweet chilli sauce and a green salad with tomatoes and avocado.

Butter cream icing

Ingredients:

125 g butter
3 cups icing sugar
2 T milk
3/4 t vanilla essence
3-4 drops food colouring

Method:

1. Place butter in microwave for a few seconds if it is not very soft.
2. In a medium bowl cream the butter, icing sugar and milk until it is light and fluffy. This may take up to 5 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla and food colouring, and beat until well combined. Fill piping bag with icing, and decorate your creations.
4. Any leftover icing will keep in a tightly closed container for a few days, simply melt it in the microwave before use, or let it reach room temperature on the kitchen bench.

Makes enough icing for approximately 50 mini cupcakes.

Colour variations:

You can add a few more drops of food colouring but if you want a really vibrant colour, you should consider using some colour paste as too much liquid food colouring can alter the taste. Once you have tried this recipe, feel free to play around with the colour, and substituting other liquids for the milk. For example, a brown icing could be made with coffee or chocolate milk or chai tea instead of milk, an orange icing could be made with orange juice.

Quick, easy microwave fudge

Ingredients:

500 g chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
60 g butter
1 t vanilla essence
1/4 t salt

Method:

1. Line a square slice tin with baking paper and spray with oil.
2. Place chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter in a microwave safe bowl.
3. Microwave for 1 minute. 
4. Beat. If the mixture isn't nice and glossy microwave for a further 15 seconds. 
5. Beat. Repeat step 3 if necessary.
6. Add vanilla essence and salt. Beat together.
7. Pour mixture into slice tin and spread evenly.
8. Refrigerate until set.
9. Cut into squares. Makes approximately 36 pieces.

Asian mince on rice

Ingredients:

• 500g pork or beef mince
• 1T Thai sweet chilli sauce
• 1T sesame oil
• 1T grated fresh ginger
• 1T soy sauce
• 1t fish sauce
• 2t brown sugar 
• 2T oyster sauce
• 2 spring onions, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 zucchinis, grated; or a head of spinach or silverbeet, prepared like this
• 2T chopped coriander, mint, basil (or mixture) 
• 1/4c cashews, roasted

Method:

1. Mix mince with sweet chilli sauce, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Leave for at least five minutes, or all day in the fridge.

2. Heat a wok and fry mince mixture over high heat until cooked through.

3. Reduce heat and mix in oyster sauce, carrots, silverbeet/spinach/zucchinis, spring onions, herbs and cashews.

4. Cook for another couple of minutes.

Serve on plain Basmati rice.

Serves four to six.

Tips:

• Try using other vegetables e.g. diced onion, sliced mushrooms, small florets of broccoli &/or cauliflower, sliced capsicum, grated cucumber.
• The first time I made this I didn't have oyster sauce so just added an extra 2T of soy sauce.