ULTIMATE GUACAMOLE WITH SPICED CUCUMBER

This guilt-free guacamole means you have our permission to have as much as you want

INGREDIENTS

• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1 cup watercress sprigs
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 telegraph cucumber, halved, cut into thin wedges
• 1 tsp each smoked paprika (pimenton) and ground cumin

• METHOD

  • 1
    Place lime juice, onion and 1 tsp salt flakes in a bowl and set aside to soften slightly. Scoop avocado into a bowl and roughly mash. Add garlic, coriander, jalapeno and the onion and lime juice mixture. Fold to combine. Season to taste, then transfer to a bowl.
  • 2
    Scatter with watercress and drizzle with oil. Scatter cucumber with paprika, cumin and salt flakes, and serve alongside.

Fruit Cobbler

Delicious, sponge top dessert

Ingredients

• 100 g butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cup mixed fruit

• Method

  • STEP 1Heat oven to 180C and melt butter in a flat bottom pie dish.
  • STEP 2While butter is melting mix all other ingredients together.
  • STEP 3Pour mixture over melted butter but don't mix.
  • STEP 4Add cooked fruit on top and bake for about 1 hour.

  • Notes

    The sponge mix comes up and over fruit. Serve with ice cream or custard. The family will just love it. Use cooked or canned fruit.

BRAISED BEEF CHEEK AND BAY LASAGNE

What's better than lasagne? Three hour slow-cooked beef cheek lasagne, that's what.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 x 300g beef cheeks (order from butchers), trimmed
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour, seasoned
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• 1 cup (250ml) red wine
• 1/3 cup (95g) tomato paste
• 400g can Ardmona Rich & Thick Classic Tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 3 cups (300g) grated mozzarella
• 4 (200g) fresh lasagne sheets

Bay leaf bechamel

• 1L (4 cups) milk
• 1 onion, quartered
• 4 bay leaves
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  • 2
    Toss beef in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole with a lid over medium-high heat. Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Remove from casserole and set aside.
  • 3
    In the same casserole, heat remaining 11/2 tbs oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme and 1 tbs wine. Cook, scraping base of casserole, for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
  • 4
    Return beef to casserole. Increase heat to high and add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until paste has darkened. Add tomato, vinegar and remaining 230ml wine. Bring to the boil, then transfer to oven.
  • 5
    Roast, covered, for 3 hours or until beef is very tender, then increase oven temperature to 200°C and remove lid. Roast for a further 35 minutes or until liquid has reduced slightly. Remove beef and shred using 2 forks. Place in a bowl with 1 cup (250ml) braising liquid. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (Beef can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.)
  • 6
    Meanwhile, for bechamel, place milk, onion and bay in a pan over medium-high heat and bring to just below boiling. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse. Melt butter in a separate pan over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until thickened. Strain milk through a sieve into a jug, discarding solids. Gradually whisk into butter mixture until smooth. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until thickened.
  • 7
    Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. Grease a 2.5L (10-cup-capacity) baking dish.
  • 8
    Spoon half the beef mixture into the prepared dish. Spread with one-third bechamel, then top with one-third mozzarella. Cover with half the pasta. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of bechamel and mozzarella.
  • 9
    Grease a piece of baking paper and use to cover dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 10 minutes or until bubbling.
  • 10
    Preheat oven grill to high. Grill lasagne for 2 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

THE EASIEST BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE 

The world’s most-loved Indian culinary export gets a mod makeover. The result? Easy, fresh butter chicken with (almost) no washing up.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4cm piece (20g) ginger, finely grated
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tbs tandoori paste
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (125ml) coconut cream
• 2 cups (560g) thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 1/2 cup dill fronds, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 telegraph cucumber, sliced into rounds
• 2 long green chillies, thinly sliced
• Roti, lime and micro coriander, to serve

Spice mix

• 1 tsp each ground cumin, ground ginger, smoked paprika (pimenton), ground coriander seeds, ground turmeric, ground cinnamon and dried mint
• 1 tsp each fenugreek and caraway seeds, toasted, ground
• 1/4 tsp each ground cloves and cardamom

• METHOD

  • 1
    Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole over high heat. Season chicken and cook, skin-side down, for 6 minutes or until golden, then turn and cook for a further 4 minutes or until sealed. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • 2
    For the spice mix, combine all spices in the casserole. Add onion, garlic, ginger and butter, and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion has softened. Add tandoori and tomato pastes, and cook for a further 1 minute, then add stock and tomato.
  • 3
    Return chicken to pan, increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour or until tender and sauce has reduced by half. Season, and stir in coconut cream.
  • 4
    Combine yoghurt, dill and lemon juice in a bowl. Season.
  • 5
    Serve curry with cucumber, chilli, dill yoghurt, roti, lime and coriander.

TOFU DOUGHNUT BITES WITH SOY MILK SOFT SERVE

These might seem like a dessert, but try them for breakfast, too! Just make sure you have a good coffee alongside, says chef Matt Wilkinson.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (125ml) organic soy milk, lukewarm
• 2 x 7g sachets dry yeast
• 50g silken tofu
• Finely grated zest of 1 mandarin
• 250g strong (baker’s) flour, plus extra to dust
• 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1L (4 cups) soy milk ice cream (we used Sanitarium So Good Vanilla Bliss)
• Sunflower oil, to deep-fry
• Black sesame seeds, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Whisk milk and yeast together in a small jug and set aside until frothy.
  • 2
    Whisk tofu and mandarin zest together in a bowl until smooth.
  • 3
    In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, 2 tbs sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. With the motor on low, add the milk mixture, then tofu mixture and knead for 5 minutes or until dough comes together and is coming away from the sides of the bowl.
  • 4
    Transfer to a clean work surface and bring together with your hands to form a ball. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 11/2-2 hours or until doubled in size.
  • 5
    Knock back dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes or until firm. Divide dough into 12 pieces, roll into 10cm-long sausages, and transfer to 2 baking trays lined with baking paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
  • 6
    Meanwhile, combine ginger and remaining 70g sugar in a bowl.
  • 7
    Place ice cream in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on high for 1 minute or until loosened. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm star nozzle. Keep in freezer until ready to use.
  • 8
    Half-fill a deep-fryer or saucepan with oil and heat to 170°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 45 seconds when hot enough). In batches, fry dough, turning halfway, for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Toss in ginger sugar, then cut doughnuts into 3cm pieces.
  • 9
    Arrange on plates and pipe over soft serve. Top with sesame to serve.

EASY PEA AND MINT CROQUETTES

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbs olive oil

6 banana shallots, finely chopped (300 g/101⁄2 oz)

• 1 tbs white wine vinegar
• 700g frozen and defrosted peas
• 20g mint leaves, finely shredded
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 eggs
• 100g plain flour
• 150g panko breadcrumbs
• Sunflower oil, for frying

For the sauce

• 1 tsp dried mint
• 120g sour cream
• 1 tbs olive oil

• METHOD

  • 1
    To make the sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl with 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and a grind of black pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • 2
    Place the olive oil in a medium-sized sauté pan on a medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Add the vinegar; cook for a further 2 minutes and then remove from the heat.
  • 3
    Place the peas in a food processor and briefly blitz. They need to break down without turning into a mushy paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the shallot, mint, garlic, 1egg, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.
  • 4
    Line a tray that will fit in your freezer with baking paper and shape the pea mixture into 16 patties (around 60 g/2 oz each), about 7 cm (23⁄4 in) across and 2 cm (1 in) thick. Freeze for a couple of hours to firm up.
  • 5
    Place the remaining eggs in a bowl and gently beat. Place the flour in a separate bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third.
  • 6
    Remove the croquettes from the freezer and, one at a time, roll them in the flour, dip them in the egg, then coat them in the crumbs. You can then either return them to the freezer at this point or leave them at room temperature for about 1 hour, until partly defrosted. Whatever you do, when it comes to frying, it’s important that the patties are not entirely frozen; you want them to cook through without burning the crust.
  • 7
    Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas 7.
  • 8
    Fill a medium-sized frying pan with enough sunflower oil so that it comes 21⁄2 cm (1 in) up the sides. Place on a medium-high heat and leave for 5 minutes for the oil to get hot. Reduce the heat to medium and fry the croquettes in batches for about 4 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden-brown.
  • 9
    Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes, to warm through. Serve at once, with the sauce spooned on top or placed alongside

Date Slice

A very easy and quick slice to make. So good, particularly just out of the oven. Always gets eaten. This is a favourite slice of mine.

Ingredients

• 90 g butter chopped
• 4 Weet-Bix crushed
• 1 cup dates chopped
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
• 1 tbs icing sugar *to decorate

• Method

  • STEP 1Grease an 18 x 28 cm pan. Line base with cooking paper.
  • STEP 2Place butter, Weet-Bix, dates, sugar, bicarb soda and water in a bowl.
  • STEP 3Mix until well combined. Allow to cool.
  • STEP 4Stir in egg, flour and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth over top with a knife.
  • STEP 5Cook at 180C, for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Cool slice in pan.
  • STEP 6Remove from pan and cut into slices. Serve dusted with icing sugar.