Salmon & asparagus quiche
Ingredients:
- plain flour, for dusting
- 700g shop-bought or homemade pastry
- 50g butter
- 1 large onion, halved and cut into thin slices
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- bunch asparagus (approx 400g), woody ends trimmed, then halved lengthways
- 100ml milk
- 300g skinless salmon fillets
- 300ml double cream
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- ½ small bunch dill, stalks removed
- zest 1 lemon
- Lemon
- 100g cheddar, grated
Method:
1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Dust a clean work surface with
flour, then roll out 600g of the pastry to line a 20 x 30cm tin. Trim the edges with scissors so that the pastry
sits 2-3mm higher than the sides of the tin. Prick the surface all over with a fork, then line with baking
parchment and add an even layer of baking beans. Place on the hot baking sheet and blind-bake for 15 mins.
2. Meanwhile, roll out the remaining pastry and any off-cuts, cut into strips and plait together. Take the tin out of
the oven, remove the baking beans and brush all over with a thin layer of beaten egg. Stick the pastry plaits
onto the edges, brush with beaten egg and return to the oven for another 15 mins until cooked through but not
brown.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion. Cook gently for 15-20 mins or
until soft, then stir in the fennel seeds and take off the heat. Leave to cool in the pan.
4. Remove the tart case from the oven and set aside while you cook the rest of the filling. Add the asparagus to a
large sauté pan, cover with 2-3cm water, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Drain, then rinse in cold
water to cool down quickly. Leave to dry on kitchen paper. Put the empty pan back on the hob, add the milk
and salmon, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 4 mins, turning once.
5. Carefully take the salmon out of the milk and lay on a plate. Pour the milk into a large heatproof jug and set
aside. Spoon the onion and fennel seeds in an even layer across the base of the pastry case. Add the asparagus
and, when the salmon is cool enough to handle, break chunks of it over the asparagus. Add the cream to the
milk along with the rest of the eggs, the dill and lemon zest, then season. Pour the mixture into the pastry case,
top with the cheese, then carefully put back in the oven for 45 mins-1 hr or until the filling is set and the
cheese on top is turning golden. Serve warm or cold with a fennel and rocket salad.
Prosciutto chipolatas
Ingredients:
- 20 chipolata pork sausage
- 10 slices prosciutto (thin)
- 1 tbs olive oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Slice the prosciutto slices in half vertically and wrap around each chipolata.
3. Lay in a baking dish and drizzle with the oil.
4. Bake for 35 minutes until prosciutto is crisp and the sausages are cooked through.
5. Serve with a good chutney for dipping.
Chicken and chorizo meatballs
Ingredients:
- 500g chicken breast mince
- 1 chorizo sausage
- 1 red onion, peeled and diced
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ tsp sweet paprika (Hungarian style)
- 1 tbsp powdered chicken stock or 1 chicken stock cube.
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ cup vegetable oil (for frying)
Method:
1. Place all ingredients into a food processor - except for the oil - and process until thoroughly combined.
2. Cover a tray with baking paper. Roll tablespoon sized balls of the meat mixture and place on the tray.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the meatballs, gently turning with a
spatula until they are brown and cooked through. This should take around 5 minutes.
4. Alternately you can bake these at 160°C fan-forced for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Serve in soft tortillas with salad and salsa or on a platter as finger food with a delicious bush chutney.
Spaghetti Tacos
Oven-Fried Frito Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Dip
Ingredients:
- extra virgin olive oil, for greasing
- 6 c corn chips, such as Fritos, coarsely crumbled
- salt and pepper
- 3 lg eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 lbs (750 g) chicken tenders
- 1/2 c mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. In a shallow bowl, combine the corn
chips, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and & 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Coat a chicken tender
with the corn chip mixture, dip into the eggs, then coat again with the corn chip mixture; place on the baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining chicken. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey and lemon juice; season with about 1/4
teaspoon salt. Serve with the chicken fingers.
*Note: You can swap tortilla chips for the Fritos and use store-bought salad dressing, barbecue sauce or just plain
ketchup in place of the honey-mustard dip.
Zucchini Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c. zucchini, grated
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. onion salt
- 2 c. crushed corn flakes or bread crumbs
Method:
In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, chicken, egg, and onion salt until well combined. Form 1-2 tablespoons of
the chicken mixture into small balls, then press flat (until about 1/2 inch thick), and coat in bread crumbs. Transfer to
a lightly greased cookie sheet. Once all nuggets have been formed and breaded, spray a light layer of nonstick
cooking spray over the nuggets. Cook in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or just until nuggets
have cooked thoroughly. Serve with ranch dressing and garden-fresh tomatoes.
Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 large overripe bananas)
- 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (creamy)
- 2 tsp real vanilla
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 4 Tbsp dark or dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/8 cup unground old-fashioned oats for muffin tops (optional)
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place bananas, eggs, honey, milk, peanut butter and vanilla in blender and puree until smooth.
3. Add oats, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to blender and puree until smooth.
4. Line 12 muffins tins with jumbo muffin liners.
5. Divide batter between 12 muffin cups.
6. Garnish muffins with a sprinkle of oatmeal and a few chocolate chips (if desired).
7. Bake muffins for 30-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Coconut and Lime Millionaire’s Shortbread
Makes 20 squares
Ingredients:
- 300g shortbread biscuits, broken up
- 75g dessicated coconut, plus extra to sprinkle
- 125g butter, melted
- 180g light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 400ml Waitrose Organic Coconut Milk
- 200g Lindt Excellence Dark Lime Chocolate
Method:
1. Line a 21cm square tin with baking paper. Put the shortbread in a food processor and pulse to form crumbs.
2. Add 75g of dessicated coconut and pulse to mix. Pour in the melted butter and pulse to mix again. Press
evenly into the base of the tin and leave in the fridge to set.
3. For the caramel, put the sugar, coconut oil and coconut milk in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Once it’s
all melted together, turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a rolling boil and keep it there,
stirring all the time. Cook for 10 mins and make sure the mixture doesn’t boil up the sides of the pan – if it
does, turn it down a little.
4. Once you get to the 10 min mark the mixture should be starting to turn a light amber colour. If it hasn’t yet,
just carry on for another couple of mins until it does.
5. Once the mixture has darkened, turn it down to a simmer and continue to cook for another 8-10 mins until it
becomes quite thick. Pour straight onto the base and place in the fridge to set – this will take about 45 mins.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just boiling water. Pour the chocolate over the set
caramel and sprinkle the remaining coconut. Leave to set before cutting into pieces.