COOKBOOK: Baking & Roasting - MIele My favourite type of lasagne!! Who would have ever thought this would turn out as good as it did. I’m a sucker for smoked salmon so I instantly knew this was going to be delicious but not everyone was thinking the same way. Those same family members went for seconds! Smoked salmon is packed with high quality protein, essential omega-3 fats that help to improve immune function.and several vitamins and minerals. However, it contains a significant amount of sodium, and cold-smoked varieties may increase your risk of listeriosis. What is listeriosis? It is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weak immune systems. Healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns. Prompt antibiotic treatment can help curb the effects of listeria infection…….so eat in moderation. Super easy to make, and it will most certainly impress your family and friends. Allow it to set before cutting and serving. Serve with a green salad. Enjoy! RECIPE Serves 4 800g smoked salmon slices Approx 12 fresh sheets of lasagne sheets 2 onions, diced 2 fennel bulbs, halved & sliced thinly 2 handfuls of dill, chopped 20g butter Salt & pepper 2 tablespoons flour 600mls milk 300ml double cream 400g grated parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons lemon juice 150g grated cheddar cheese Melt butter in a deep saucepan, add onion and fry until just soft. Add salt & pepper. Add flour and combine well on low-med heat. Gradually begin adding the milk in batches and stir continuously after each batch. Allow it to bring to boil and simmer, it will thicken in texture, then add the double cream , lemon juice, dill and parmesan cheese . Combine well and remove from heat and set aside. Pre-heat the oven 180C Add a third of the sauce on the base of the casserole dish. Spread evenly, place lasagne sheets to cover (this may mean that you will cut some to fit in unusual spaces) , do not overlay the sheets. Add half of the fennel and spread evenly over the sheets. Lay a thin layer of smoked salmon to cover. Spread half of the remainder of the sauce over the smoked salmon, spread evenly. Spread the reminder of the fennel over the top. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Add the rest of the smoked salmon slices over the top, cover with the reminder of the lasagne sheets. Spread the remainder of the sauce, spread evenly and sprinkle the grated cheese. Bake in a moderate oven for 40-50mins.

COOKBOOK: Low-Fat & Fabulous (That’s Life Cookbook) You’ve asked yourself what are gougons? The word gougon derives from the French word 'Gudgeon' which is the common name for a number of small freshwater fish. However, a gougon is also commonly used to refer to strips of chicken. They say the name originated in Sweden for fried pieces of chicken or fish. Super easy to make and delicious. These make the perfect serving for the young ones and the older ones will take one or two extras! The tomato salad was the perfect side dish for these chicken beauties and also very easy to make. Enjoy! RECIPE Serves 4 Olive oil for shallow frying 600g chicken tenderloins 2 cups of sourdough breadcrumbs or make your own with stale bread 1/4 cup plain flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons of milk 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil 1 lemon, zest grated Salt & pepper TOMATO SALSA 400g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large red onion, peeled and diced 1 continental cucumber, peeled and sliced in half lengthways and sliced Salt & Pepper 1 tablespoon of Italian dry herbs 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar NOTE: If you are making your own breadcrumbs with stale bread, slice and process until it resembles breadcrumbs. Combine the egg and milk and beat lightly. Combine the breadcrumbs, shredded basil along with the lemon rind & salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a flat surface dish or casserole dish. Dust chicken in flour, then dip in egg and place each piece in the breadcrumbs. Press down on both sides until each piece is crumbed. Set aside. Heat the olive oil (or your choice of oil) in a frying pan for shallow frying. Add the chicken pieces and fry for approx 2-3mins on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula. Remove and set aside. TOMATO SALSA Add the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for a minute, then add the capsicum and fry for another minute. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add the tomatoes and cucumbers, dry herbs and balsamic vinegar and combine well. Serve chicken gouging with tomato salsa and some greens

COOKBOOK: Dianne Baker - Fat Free Forever How could anything with mince be fat-free…anyway, it was delicious! I did like the convo in this meatloaf, blended nicely and it was yummy. Super easy to make and a great dinner for the family. Enjoy! RECIPE Serves 4 800g minced beef 2 eggs 1 small carrot, grated 1 onion, chopped A handful of parsley, chopped 3 large tablespoons of flour 4 tablespoons tomato sauce or salsa sauce 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce 3 tablespoon of dry chicken seasoning 2 tablespoons of dry Italian herbs 2 tablespoons continental French onion soup 4 -6 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, for crumbing Pre heat oven to 180C (350F) Mix all the above ingredients except the breadcrumb in a bowl. On a clean flat surface spread the breadcrumbs (I laid some kitchen paper on my surface) Take the mince mixture and place it on the breadcrumbs. Begin to form a meatloaf (oval) shape. Roll in the crumbs until it is well covered. Place on an oven tray or dish and bake for approx 25mins Allow it to stand before cutting and serving Serve with some extra BBQ sauce and a green salad

COOKBOOK: Pasta & Italian Cookbook Strange name for a pasta dish, I know. It must be in reference to the serving on a plate representing a parcel. Super simple, way too easy and absolutely delicious! One question that is always raised is does alcohol levels burn off when added in cooking. The answer surprised me! Apparently new tests have shown that there still is a percentage, small percentage of alcohol, which varies from 5%, left in a dish. This is very interesting, I had been taught that burning the alcohol in cooking burns off all the alcohol. Well I’ve just leant something new! Any recipe with a wine added to the cooking will taste delicious in my opinion and it is very difficult to replicate this taste with broth. In saying this, broth is a great alternative. Enjoy! RECIPE Serves 4 500g fettuccine 1 handful of chives, sliced thinly 1 handful of parsley, chopped 200g pesto sauce in a jar 2 tablespoons olive oil 750g raw prawns peeled and deveined (I left tails on) 3 garlic cloves, chopped 150ml dry white wine Salt & pepper Grated parmesan Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Cook the pasta as per instructions on package. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, add olive oil in a deep frying pan, fry the garlic, chives and parsley for a minute. Add the prawns and combine well. Add the wine and bring to just boil and simmer. Add pesto, salt and pepper and mix well. Allow it to simmer for another 3-5mins. Mixture can now be added to the pasta. The pasta will absorb the liquid very quickly, pasta is like a sponge! Ready to be served. Add grated parmesan over the top before serving.

COOKBOOK: Take 5 Mag No cooking required!! Loving it!! Easy, So simple and absolutely delicious!! I know that my 2yr old granddaughters loved it! Why should we introduce mango into our lives? They are a great source of magnesium and potassium, both of which are connected to lower blood pressure and a regular pulse. They also say that mangos are the source of a compound known as mangiferin, which early studies suggest may be able to reduce inflammation of the heart. This after-meals dessert will turn into a favourite in your household in no time! Enjoy RECIPE Serves 4 6 finger biscuits, roughly crumbled 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut, toasted 4 tablespoons orange juice , or sherry 280g diced peaches in juice, retrain the juice 2 mangoes, diced 2 passionfruit 2 cups of prepared vanilla custard Combine biscuits and coconut in a bowl and set aside. In a different bowl, add the drained diced peach, mango and passionfruit, and combined gently. Add a base of crushed biscuit to the base of the glass, sprinkle with orange juice. Add a tablespoon of the peach and mangoes to cover nice the biscuits. Add 2 tablespoons  of custard in each cup. Repeat layers once again It’s now ready to be served. It can also be refrigerated for a couple of hours before you serve.

COOKBOOK: Country Women’s Association No matter which way a T-Bone is served, I’ll eat it. This was an easy and a great option on how to cook a T-bone in the oven when the BBQ cannot be fired up. The T-bone is a cut from the short loin of the cow and it is one of the most tender and most popular cuts of steak. Generally best cooked on a hot grill or bbq but in saying this, I can no longer say that this is the best method because it’s now proven that cooking them in the oven has tenderised and flavoured this meat beautifully. Enjoy RECIPE Serves 4 4 T-bone steaks 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 375g canned chopped tomatoes 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cups water 2 tablespoon butter Salt & pepper Preheat the oven at 180C. Place steaks in an oven proof dish, Spread the garlic over the steaks and then top with canned tomatoes. Salt & pepper. In a bowl, add the tomato paste and water and mix well.  Add mixture in dish, top each of the steaks with a tablespoon of butter. Oven bake for approx 40-50mins or until cooked through to your liking. Serve with mashed potato and steamed vegetables

COOKBOOK: Miele - Moisture Plus OMG it just melted in your mouth! Just delicious and very easy to make Trout is full of excellent source of protein such as niacin (which assists with skin and nerve functions in our body), vitamin B12 and omega fatty acids. I have been told that the cleanest and freshest fish to eat is one that is found in deeper waters, & this one did not disappoint me! Enjoy RECIPE Serves 4 2 trouts (approx 1k each) -cleaned and gutted 1 lemon, juice 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped 1 large red chilli, chopped 60g baby capers 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 slices of any thick white bread, cut into bite sizes Salt & pepper 40g butter, room temp 2 handful of fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil, mint , chives & parsley) 16-20 cherry tomatoes Wash and dry trout and set aside. Place the bread pieces in a bowl, add the garlic, chilli, egg yolk, 1 handful of fresh herbs and baby capers. Combine well. Add lemon juice. Add in a processor and chop until it resembles crumbs. Take the trout and sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Fill the trout with breadcrumb mixture and tie it to secure. Add olive oil in an oven tray, place the whole fish and bake fish in moderate oven , 180C, for 12mins. Place a second handful of chopped herbs in a bowl with butter and mix well. Remove fish from oven, leave the oven on 180C. Add the cherry tomatoes in the casserole dish, add the herbed butter along the top of the fish in seperate batches. Bake fish for a further 20mins. When cooked, remove string and pour oven juices over the fish. Split and debone. Serve with cherry tomatoes.

COOKBOOK: Take 5 recipe These pasta ‘salads’ served with spinach leaves are becoming a real trend! They used to serve green salad on a side dish, but not anymore! I’m a huge fan of my salad added into my pasta, whether it be lettuce or baby spinach. They say adding a green salad leaf in the pasta is better for the digestion. These servings are filling me up, no need to go for seconds (call that a good or bad thing) I’m loving these recipes and hope you do too. Super easy to make! Enjoy RECIPE Serves 4 3 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups bow pasta 1 tablespoon butter 200g trim lamb steak, sliced into mouthful pieces 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 100g sun dried tomatoes, chopped 1 lemon, juice Handful rosemary, chopped Handful parsley, chopped Handful oregano, chopped 2 tablespoons mint, chopped Salt & Pepper (optional) 150g baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese Cook pasta as per package instructions. Drain, add butter, mix well until it has melted and set aside. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and fry the lamb until just browned. Remove. PLEASE NOTE: I had a lamb roast which I used for this recipe/video Heat olive oil, fry garlic, add sun dried tomatoes and all fresh herbs. Add lemon juice, cooked sliced lamb pieces. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and combine well. Turn heat off. Add cooked pasta, salt & pepper. Add half of the spinach leaves on serving plate, add 3/4 of the pasta over the leaves. Top with more salad leaves and again with the remaining pasta. Add grated cheese over the top. Ready to serve

COOKBOOK: Woman’s Day I wasn’t sure about this recipe when I first read it, and boy was I wrong! Amazing, absolutely amazing! As my husband keeps reminding me, never tell his mum how good my soups are! When he was young he used to refuse eating any soup related dishes and he now loves them. Who would have thought the combination of zucchini and mint was going to be such a great match. Don’t underestimate this combo, it will surprise you and it could very well become your new fav soup recipe! Enjoy RECIPE Serves 4 1 tablespoon of butter 2 onions, sliced 8 zucchinis, peeled and sliced 1 litre of chicken stock 1/2 cup of mint, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley Salt & pepper 150g goat cheese, grated Melt butter in a deep pot. Add onions, stir until soft. Add zucchini, salt and pepper, mint and stir for further minute or two. Add stock and bring to boil. Simmer for 10mins.  Add the chopped parsley and simmer for a further 5mins. With a hand held blender, blend the soup until the mixture is smooth. This can also be done by adding the soup mixture in a food processor. Top with goat cheese on each of the serving plates.

COOKBOOK: Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Australia Fennel, the vegetable which took me years to like! Married to an Italian who eats it raw, it was very hard for me to enjoy and fine a perfect way to introduce it in our meals. Here it is! I now fry it in olive oil and I can now eat a plateful of it! There are so many benefits to this vegetable, it would take me a whole page to note them. In saying this, I have read that it is not advisable to eat fennel if you have had breast cancer, ovary or uterus or a history of endometriosis. Please get advice from your doctor. If fennel is not your go to vegetable, substitute it with celery and it will be just as delicious! Enjoy RECIPE Makes 4-6 80ml of olive oil 1 large red onion, sliced 600g white fish fillet, cut in large pieces 1k mix of mussels, scallops and peeled prawns 1 tablespoon of butter 1 fennel, sliced 1 bunch chives, sliced 2 handful of parsley chopped + some loose leaves for deco 2 large zucchinis, peeled and cut into matchsticks 300g cherry tomatoes, sliced 1/4 cup white wine Salt & pepper 500g linguine of your choice CRUMBS 60ml olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 large chilli, remove the seeds, slice and chopped 70g sourdough bread, chopped CRUMBS You will need a food processor for this recipe Take the bread and place in processor and chop until it forms large breadcrumbs Add one tablespoon of olive oil in pan and fry the garlic until just golden, add the chilli and fry for a few seconds. Add the breadcrumb and add an extra tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well. Fry for a minute and remove from heat. Set aside for a minute to cool off. Add the mixture to the processor once again and process until fine in texture. Set aside to serve over seafood. SEAFOOD In a frying pan, coat it with butter, pace the scallops and allow them to golden, approximately 1-2mins on each side. Over cooking will make them rubbery. Now add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and add the fish pieces, allow them to golden , approx 1-2mins on each side. Add salt & pepper. Set the pieces aside. Add a tablespoon of olive oil in the existing pan and add the onion, fry for half a min and add the fennel. Fry for 5mins, turning regularly. Add the zucchini matchsticks, chives, parsley and wine. Combine well. Fry for a further 3mins. Add the tomatoes, prawns and mussels. Place a lid over the pan and allow it to cook for a further 1-2mins until muscles open up, remove from heat. LINGUINE Cook as per the package instructions. SERVING Place the linguine on the spring plate, add the seafood mixture over the top . Add the fish pieces around the sides of the serving plate. Scatter the scallops and mussels. Drizzle with pan juices and sprinkle the crumbs over the top. Decorate with some parsley and it is ready to be served.

COOKBOOK: Take 5 recipe Kumara, another name for sweet potato. Regular potatoes have white or yellow flesh inside, while sweet potatoes are known for having orange innards. Both typically have brownish skin; though, that can vary depending on the variety. There are more than 4,000 different types of potatoes and 1,000 varieties of sweet potatoes grown around the globe! Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. They are also a decent source of many other vitamins and minerals. Sweet potatoes are often touted as being healthier than white potatoes, but in reality, both types can be highly nutritious. While regular and sweet potatoes are comparable in their calorie, protein, and carb content, white potatoes provide more potassium, whereas sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A. A nice balance in this recipe, add chicken and a green vegetable such as broccoli and you have yourself a delicious and healthy meal Enjoy RECIPE Makes 4 Olive oil - tablespoon 4 x chicken breasts with skin on or chicken Maryland skin on 12cm piece of ginger, peeled snd chopped 4 x small/medium Kumara (sweet potatoes), sliced into 5cm slices 4 tablespoons soy sauce 6 tablespoons orange juice 4 tablespoons honey Salt & pepper Green veggies , steamed or stir fried (eg broccoli, bock chow, peans or beans) Preheat oven to 180C In a bowl adds sauce, honey, orange juice, chopped ginger, salt & pepper and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and combine until the pieces are well coated. Fry the chicken pieces for 2mins on each side. Keep any of the marinade in the bowl. Place the chicken pieces in an oven tray, cover with foil and bake for approx 15-18mins. Add the sweet potato in the bowl which has the left over marinade and combine well. Add a little extra soy sauce if required. Add the olive oil in the frying pan and fry the sweet potato, stir-frying until cooked through.

COOKBOOK: Woman’s Day Recipe, Aug 22 2005 An apple crumble is said to have originated in a New England hospital when a person wanted to make a pie with a different type of crust. The British version (apple crumble) originated during the rationing of WWII with the crumble portion made of butter, flour, and brown sugar. The galette is a term used in French cuisine for various types of flat round or freeform crusty cakes made with pastry. Combine these two together and you have an amazing dish to serve for tea-time. Super easy to make and delicious Enjoy RECIPE Makes 1 galette - serves 2-4 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed 3 granny apples, peeled, cored and cut into 5cm pieces Icing sugar , dusting TOPPING 2 tablespoons plain flour 30g butter, cold 2 tablespoons rolled oats + 1/2 extra spoonful 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon mixed spices 1 tablespoon , coconut shredded 20g butter, melted Pre heat oven 200C Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Add the butter, oats, brown sugar, mixed spices and cinnamon in a bowl and crumble until it is well combined. Place the sheet of puff pastry over the tray and round off the corners of the sheet. Place the apple in the centre of the pastry leaving a border. Sprinkle crumbed mixture over the top. Add a little extra oat and sprinkle with shredded coconut. With your hands begin twisting the border or the pastry inwards to form a case. Brush with a little melted butter and bake for approx 25mins or until golden and cooked through. Allow it to cool. Sprinkle some icing sugar over the top.