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.

Potato top pie

Ingredients:
1 T oil
1 onion, chopped
500 g mince
2 T plain flour
1 T tomato sauce
1 T chutney or relish
3/4 c beef stock
4 medium-large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 T butter
1/2 c grated cheese
salt
black pepper

Optional:
1-2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 - 1 pepper, diced
1/2 c frozen peas

Method:

Mince mixture:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear.
2. Add mince and cook until well browned, stirring constantly. Pour off excess fat.
3. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Add tomato sauce, chutney, stock and optional extra vegetables.
5. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Set aside.

Potato mash:

1. Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender, approximately 15 minutes.
2. Drain and heat for a few minutes to dry off excess moisture. Shake the pan frequently during this time.
3. Mash potato. Add butter and half the cheese, mixing until smooth and creamy.
4. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

To finish:

1. Put mince into pie dish. Top with potato mixture.
2. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
3. Bake at 180 degrees celsius or until golden and heated through.

Serves 4

Notes:

• Try using 2 large kumara instead of potato for mash.
• Try combining 2 potatoes with 1 kumara to make mash.
• Try other optional extra vegetables e.g. corn kernels, sliced mushrooms, diced tomatoes.
• This is a great recipe for using up small quantities of vegetables you may have hiding in the fridge.

Microwave cheese sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup warm milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)


Method:

1. In a micro-wave safe jug, warm milk for approximately 2 minutes.
2. In a large micro-wave safe glass bowl, heat butter for 30 seconds on high or until the butter is melted.
3. Whisk together the butter, flour and warmed milk.
4. Add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.
5. Place bowl in microwave and cook on high for 1 1/2-2 minutes, whisking every 30 seconds or so, until sauce is thick and heated through.
6. Season with salt, if desired, and whisk until blended.

Makes: 2 cups