SPANISH CHICKEN


1 kilo chicken breast fillets, no skin
250 grams chorizo, sliced
4 medium potatoes, diced
4 small carrots, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 x 800 gram tin diced tomatoes
1 x 400 gram tin diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder ( or to taste)
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced black olives

2 tablespoons olive oil.

preheat oven to 180 c.

par boil the potato and carrot until 1/2 cooked. drain and put aside.

in a large non stick frypan or stove top to oven casserole dish with lid, saute chicken until
just changed colour. drain and put aside.

using the same frypan/dish, brown chorizo and put aside. wipe pan.

place the olive oil in the frypan and saute the onion and garlic until onion is translucent.

add the potato, carrot, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, chilli powder, paprika and sugar.
stir till well combined. bring to the boil then add the chicken. add salt and pepper.

(transfer to an oven proof dish with lid if needed.)

place in oven and cook until vegies are soft and chicken is cooked through. about 30 minutes.

add the chorizo and olives and cook for another 5 minutes.

serve with boiled rice.

SPICED SWISS ROLL with passionfruit cream*

3 eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 tablespoon boiling water

300 mls thickened cream, whipped
3 fresh passionfruit.

preheat oven to 200 C. grease and line  a 25 x 30cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper.

using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until mixture is thick and pale and doubled in size.

sift the combined flour, cocoa and spices over the egg mixture, pour the boiling water down the side of the bowl.

gently fold until just combined.

pour into the tin and gently smooth the surface.

cook for 10 - 12 minutes. should be golden and dry to the touch.

meanwhile, sprinkle a large sheet of baking paper with extra caster sugar.

when cooked, turn the hot sponge out onto the sugared paper and remove the (cooked) baking paper.

using the paper, roll the sponge from a short end into a log. put aside to cool completely.

mix the whipped cream and passionfruit together.

when cold, unroll the sponge and line with the passionfruit cream.

roll the sponge up again, place on a serving tray and dust with icing sugar to serve.

*ALTERNATIVELY.....if you don't like passionfruit (like my son), fill the roll just with whipped
cream and ice with some chocolate icing.

CHOCOLATE CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

2 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil


preheat oven to 180c. line muffin tins with paper patty pans.

combine flour, sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and bicarb soda in a large bowl.

whisk egg, sour cream, milk, and oil in another bowl until smooth. pour into chocolate mixture and
stir until just combined.

3/4 fill patty pans.

cook for approx. 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

dust with icing sugar.

BANANA MUFFINS...with honey and walnuts

250 grams self-raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, roughly mashed
1 dessertspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
1/3 cup crumbed walnuts

preheat oven to 180C. line muffin tins with large paper patty pans.

mix all ingredients together, until just combined.

3/4 fill patty pans..

cook for 25 - 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

cool and ice.

ICING

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
approx. 3 tablespoons sour cream

mix the icing sugar and cinnamon with
enough sour cream to make a spreadable paste.

spoon or pipe onto muffins.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

12 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups caster sugar, divided in half
1 cup sifted cake flour (see note)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 160 c.

in a small bowl, sift together 3/4 cup sugar and the cake flour. Set aside.

beat egg whites until just frothy, then add cream of tartar and salt.
beat until till just combined then add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar in 4 additions.

once all the sugar has been added, beat egg whites to soft peaks.

once you have soft peaks, add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds.

fold in the flour/sugar mix in 6 additions, sifting it over the egg mix each addition.

spoon batter into an UNGREASED 9 inch tube tin with a removeable bottom. level the top with a spatula and tap the pan on a bench once or twice to remove air bubbles.

cook for 40 - 50 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

remove from oven and turn tin upside down on a wire rack. leave UPSIDE DOWN to cool completely.

to remove cake, gently run a thin knife around the sides and centre of tin. push the bottom up to remove cake. place upside down on a plate and use the knife to remove rest of tin.

decorate as desired. I used whipped cream, sliced banana and fresh passionfruit.

NOTE: to make cake flour...measure one cup plain flour, take out 2 tablespoons and put in 2 tablespoons of cornflour. sift together.

LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAF

1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 punnet (125 grams)fresh blueberries
finely grated rind of 2 lemons

preheat oven to 180 c, grease sides and line bottom of 8 x 4 inch loaf tin.

whisk the oil, sugar, lemon juice and eggs together until well combined.

combine the flour and salt and whisk into egg mixture alternately
with milk, until well combined.

stir in the blueberries and lemon rind.

pour into tin and cook for 50 - 60 minutes or until golden on top and a skewer
comes out clean.

cool in tin for 10 minutes then tip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

ice.

ICING

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
lemon juice.

mix the icing sugar and butter together with enough juice to make a spreadable paste.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

260 grams smooth peanut butter
200 grams caster sugar
1 egg

choc bits if desired*


preheat oven to 180 c.
line baking trays with baking paper.

mix all ingredients together until combined.

roll into walnut sized balls.
(mix dries out quickly, if  it starts to get crumbly, just knead it a bit
until it rolls into a ball).

place balls on trays and flatten  lightly with a fork.

cook 8 - 10 minutes until just brown.

cool on trays.

*I divided the mix in half and just threw a handful of choc bits into 1/2 the mix.

these are also gluten free.

STAINED GLASS CHEESECAKE SQUARES

5 packets different flavoured jelly
5 cups boiling water

300 ml condensed milk
250 grams cream cheese, softened
6 teaspoons strawberry essence (or to taste)
300 ml thickened cream
28 grams gelatin
1 cup boiling water


place each packet of jelly in a separate square/oblong bowl
and mix each with 1 cup of boiling water.
refrigerate overnight or until set.


line a 9 x 13 cm. dish with baking paper.

cut all the jelly into cubes and spread across the bottom
of the dish.

mix the gelatin with the boiling water. stir till dissolved. put aside.

using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, strawberry essence and condensed milk together
until smooth.

beat in the cream then the gelatin. beat till well combined. cool.

when cool, pour over the jelly cubes.

refrigerate till set.

cut into squares to serve.

MELTING MOMENTS

250 grams butter, softened
80 grams icing sugar
220 grams cornflour
180 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

preheat oven to 170 c.  line baking trays with baking paper.

using an electric mixer, beat the butter till creamy. beat in icing sugar and vanilla.

combine the flours and stir into butter mix.

roll into walnut sized balls (I weighed mine at 15 grams each).

place on trays.

cook for 12 - 15 mins.  should be just brown on bottoms.

cool on trays.

dust with snow powder.

I also piped strawberry flavoured icing on some and sprinkled with
pink decorating sugar.

SNOW POWDER

3 tablespoons icing sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornflour sifted
together.

STRAWBERRY ICING

1 cup icing sugar
strawberry essence to taste
cream

mix the icing sugar and essence together with enough cream to make
spreadable or thin enough to pipe.

LEMON DESSERT SAUCE

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour

2 teaspoons lemon juice, extra
2 drops yellow food colour gel

in a medium sized saucepan, bring lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar, and cornflour to a boil  over medium heat.
stir constantly.

reduce heat to simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thick.

remove from heat and stir in the extra juice and food colour.

pour into a glass jug. cool.

cover and store in fridge till needed.

serve warm.( microwave in covered jug for approx. 30 seconds)

refrigerate up to 1 week.

LEMON CHIFFON CAKE

7 egg yolks
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons canola oil
finely grated rind 2 medium sized lemons
4 tablespoons lemon juice
110 grams self-raising flour, sifted

7 Egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup caster sugar




preheat oven to 170 c. use 24cm springform tin, line bottom of tin with baking
paper. leave the rest ungreased. If you have a tube tin use it instead.

using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks with sugar till pale, then add in salt and oil.
beat for 2 minutes.

add in rind and juice and mix well. Fold in flour until just combined. put aside.

using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

gradually add in sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.

gently fold egg white into egg yolk batter in 3 batches, until fully combined. (do not overmix)

pour batter into UNGREASED  tin. tap the tin a few times on table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.

cook for 50-60 minutes or until cooked. (When lightly pressed, the cake will spring back)

immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, place a wire rack on top of the tin and turn so the tin is now upside down.

let the cake cool completely in the upside down tin .

to remove cake from pan, run a thin bladed knife or a palette knife around the side of the tin.

dust with snow powder.

SNOW POWDER

3 tablespoons or icing sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour

sift both together. store leftover snow in a container.

keeps like icing sugar.

I served this cake as a dessert with cream, mixed berries and lemon sauce.

RAINBOW CHEESECAKE
(strawberry flavoured)

250 grams milk arrowroot biscuits
120 grams butter, melted
1 cup bright sprinkles

2  x 250 gram blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups thickened cream
3 teaspoons gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
6 teaspoons strawberry essence or to taste

pink, yellow, green and blue, food coloring gel
combine 1 drop of red and 3 drops yellow to make orange


line bottom and grease sides of 24 cm. spring form tin.

blitz or finely crush the biscuits.  add the sprinkles and the melted butter.
stir till well combined.  press across the bottom and 1/2 way
up the sides of the spring form tin.  refrigerate while making filling.

mix the gelatin with the water until dissoved. put aside.

using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

add cream, essence and gelatin. beat until thickened and well combined.

divide mixture among 5 small bowls (or one bowl for each color you're using) and add a couple
drops of a different food coloring gel to each bowl. stir to combine.

place spoonfuls of the  cheesecake mixture onto the biscuit crust, alternating colors until
you’ve used up all the mixture.

refrigerate till set, at least 6 hours or overnight.

top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

keep refrigerated.

ORANGE BUTTER CAKE

3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
227 grams butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk*
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated rind 2 oranges



Preheat oven to 180 c. line bottom and grease sides of 30 x 24 cm baking tin.

sift flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt together. put aside.

using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.

beat in eggs, orange rind and vanilla.

beat in 1/2 the flour then 1/2 the buttermilk then the rest of the flour then the
rest of the buttermilk.

pour into tin and cook 45 - 50 minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.


cool in tin for 10 minutes then remove to wire tray.  cool completely.

ice.

ICING

4 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons butter
orange juice
1 drop red gel food colour, optional
3 drops yellow gel food colour, optional

mix the icing sugar and butter together with enough orange juice to
make a spreadable paste. add colour if desired.

spread over cold cake.

*make your own buttermilk by putting 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in
a measuring jug and making up to 1 cup with milk.