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. 

Spiced Apple Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup (fine) rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
75 g butter
1 egg
3/4 cup - 1 cup milk
1 cup apple, chopped or grated

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Mix the first 8 (dry) ingredients together with your fingers or a fork to ensure the rolled oats and brown sugar are mixed through evenly.
3. Melt the butter then add the egg and 3/4 cup of milk. Beat with a fork until mixed.
4. Grate or chop the apple, press it into the cup, removing air bubbles, then stir it into the liquids. (Work quickly so it doesn't brown)
5. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix lightly to dampen them. Add as much of the extra milk as you need to reach a muffin consistency.
6. Spoon into sprayed or lined muffin pans and bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when pressed.

Notes:

• This recipe is best to make when you know what consistency a muffin mixture should be. The raw apple gives muffins a lovely fresh apple flavour, but when you use it, you never know exactly how much milk will be needed.
• Great for morning tea or brunch, in packed lunches, and as an after-school snack.
• I didn't have ground cloves the first time I made it but muffins still came out tasty. 

Slow cooked lamb shanks

• Ingredients:
  
  
  2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 lamb shanks
• 100g/3½oz plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250ml/9fl oz red wine
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 fresh sprigs rosemary
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 300ml chicken or vegetable stock
• mashed potatoes and favourite green vegetable, to serve
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
2. Coat the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour and fry in the frying pan for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly, or until browned all over. Place the lamb shanks in the slow cooker.
3. Deglaze the frying pan with the red wine and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker.
   Watch technique1:18 mins
4. Add the onion, rosemary, bay leaves and stock to the slow cooker. The liquid should cover the meat - add more stock or boiling water if needed.
5. Cook on LOW for approximately six hours. 
   
   
   Serve with mash and your favourite green vegetable.